August 2015 franchising usa 3#10

Franchising usa T he ma g a z ine for franchisees

VOL 03, ISSUE 10, aug 2015

$5.95 www.franchisingusamagazine.com

special

CHILDRENs PRODUCTS AND SERVICES supplement

UFood Grill:

Where Delicious Meets Nutritious SECRETS TO

SUCCESSFUL FRANCHISING LATEST NEWS

FINANCIAL ADVICE FROM THE BANKS

TOP LAWYERS’ ADVICE

OWN A THRIVING CHILDREN’S

RESALE STORE Your community will thank you. Find out why at www.kidtokid.com/community

Make a positive impact on your community AND your future. Kid to Kid stores are experiencing all-time highs in sales and profitability, with continued growth each year.

See if owning a Kid to Kid franchise could be your perfect fit at kidtokid.com/franchising.

s now Territorie tact con available t Dave a ext. 101 1 7 0 0 9 5 3 801 info for more

Franchising usa T he ma g a z ine for franchisees

FRANCHISING USA VOLUME 3, ISSUE 10, AUGUST 2015 president: Colin Bradbury. colin@cgbpublishing.com

Publisher: Vikki Bradbury. vikki@cgbpublishing.com

Advertising Sales: Kimberly Kutnick kimberlyk@cgbpublishing.com

Editorial Department:

from the

Publisher

“You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.” - Albert Einstein

editor@cgbpublishing.com

Editorial team: Rob Swystun Gina Gill

Production: Diana Cikes usaproduction@cgbpublishing.com

DESIGN: Jejak Graphics. jejak@bigpond.com

COVER IMAGE: ufood grill

CGB PUBLISHING Canadian Office: 676 Wain Road, Sidney B.C Canada V8L 5M5 U.S. Office: 800 5th Ave, #101 Seattle, WA 98104-3102 Sales: 847 607 8407 Editorial: 778 426 2446 www.franchisingusamagazine.com Proud member of the IFA:

SUPPLIER FORUM International Franchise Association 1501 K Street, N.W., Suite 350 Washington, D.C. 20005 Phone: (202) 628-8000 Fax: (202) 628-0812 www.franchise.org

It can be challenging to stay on top of the latest business news and market trends.

When looking into franchise options, there are so many factors to investigate and consider before making your investment, and we hope this issue of Franchising USA can help you along in this process.

Our cover story in this issue is an indepth look into Ufood Grill, Where Delicious Meets Nutritious.

We are also excited to offer you our Special Feature on Children’s Products and Services, which is packed full of expert advice and insights into this thriving and ever-growing franchise industry. On the Cover we feature Launch Trampoline Parks who are aiming to take the franchise Nationwide. We also feature a discussion with Roberto Ortega, CEO & Co-founder of KLA Schools, who explains how you too can establish an open culture of communication as the key

to widespread success, and of course our ever popular main feature article.

Our main Veterans in franchising supplement this month features Sport Clips as the main Cover story and we also have some great insights from the experts into Why Franchisors Should Focus on Veterans.

As usual, we also feature plenty of great advice from industry Experts who take the time to share their insights with our readers. Our regular contributing expert, Andre Kay shares the 3 Signs Your Small Business is Ready for Snapchat, while Chris Poelma discusses the role of technology as a crucial ingredient for franchise restauranteurs. We also hear about Lessons Learned from Opening Franchise Locations Nationwide from Kyle Zagrodsky, and you can learn how to manage your relationships with franchisees from Christopher Conner Don’t forget to check out the latest in industry news on pages 6-9, as well as the popular A-Z franchise directories listed at the back of the magazine.

We hope you’re enjoying the summer season but remember to take a few moments to send me any comments.

Happy summer reading!

Vikki Bradbury Publisher

The information and contents in this publication are believed by the publisher to be true, correct and accurate but no independent investigation has been undertaken. Accordingly the publisher does not represent or warrant that the information and contents are true, correct or accurate and recommends that each reader seek appropriate professional advice, guidance and direction before acting or relying on all information contained herein. Opinions expressed in the articles contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. The publication is sold subject to the terms and conditions that it shall not be copied in whole or part, resold, hired out, without the express permission of the publisher.

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Contents On the Cover

12 Secrets to Successful Franchising

10 UFood Grill Where Delicious Meets Nutritious

Supplement

76

54

Bob McDevitt

59 Special Children’s Products and Services

12

AUGUST 2015

In Every Issue

Veterans Supplement

06 Franchising News Announcements from the Industry

30 Cover Story: Sport Clips

27 Veterans Supplement News and Information for Veterans in Franchising

34 The Making of an American Franchisee:

Why Franchisors Should Focus on Veterans

by Lynne Shelton, Shelton & Power

68 Feature Article

Children’s Franchising

36 Profile: DreamMaker Bath and Kitchen

102 A-Z Franchise and Services Directoy

Spotlight on Service 16 TopFire Media

38 Why Young Veterans Should Consider

Franchising

by Jim Judy, Franchise Business Consultant

40 Profile: Seven Eleven 42 Frachisee in Depth: Pinot’s Palette

Profile 20 Fence Dynamics

Franchisor In Depth 96 The Eco Laundry Company Franchising USA

46 Profile: Budget Blinds 48 A Veteran’s ‘Network’ is Their New Mentor

by Jim Mingey, Veterans Business Services

50 Frachisee in Depth: i9 Sports

68

Expert Advice 12 Secrets to Successful Franchising

by Bob McDevitt, Golden Corral

14 Franchise Restauranteurs Increasingly

See Technology as a Crucial Ingredient

by Chris Poelma, NCR Silver

18 3 Signs Your Small Business is Ready for Snapchat

by Andre Kay, Sociallybuzz

22 Managing Relationships With Franchisees

by Christopher Conner, Franchise Marketing Systems

24 What I’ve Learned From Opening Franchise Locations Nationwide

by Kyle Zagrodsky, OsteoStrong

54 6 Tactics to Overcome Counter Offers When Sales Recruiting

by Eliot Burdett, Peak Sales Recruting

56 The Expectation Myth

by George Knauf, FranChoice

94 5 Ways to Make Your Employees More

Productive Without Being Punitive

by Andy Roe, SurePayroll, Inc.

100 Buy Now or Buy Later?

by David Banfield, The Interface Financial Group

100

Children’s Supplement 62 Children’s News 66 Cover Story: Launch Trampoline Park 68 Children’s Feature

14

72 Edutainment: Engineering a New Path for

Students Learning STEM

by Amir Asor, e2 Young Engineers

76 Best in Class: 3-3-3 Teacher Incentive

Offers Unique Franchise Opportunity

by Sharon Peterson, Best in Class Education Center

82

Rising a Cut Above the Competition: How Kid-Focused Companies are Proving Their Value

by Kimberly Ellis, Snip-its

84 Profile: Discovery Point 88 Creating a Culture of Open Communications

is Key to Widespread Success

by Roberto Ortega, CEO & Co-founder, KLA Schools

90 Profile: Huntington Learning Center 92 Is Child Care the Next Big Franchise Industry?

Kylie Gjersee, COO, Top Level Management

f ra nchising usa

what’s new!

NEWSMAKER’S ARTICLE ON HAPPY TAX Success comes in many forms. For Mario Costanz, the founder and CEO of Happy Tax Franchising, the road to success did not take the usual path.

Blink Fitness propels expansion across the U.S. with the launch of a national franchise program Blink Holdings, Inc., the New York based operator of the premium quality, value-based Blink Fitness™ brand, announced the formation of Blink Fitness Franchising, Inc. and the launch of a national franchise program.

With 50 company-owned Blink Fitness gyms currently open or in development in the New York metropolitan area, it plans to open more than 300 additional Gyms by the end of 2020.

Blink is led by veterans from the fitness industry that bring a diversity of knowledge and experience to its franchisees. As a result Blink brings bestin-class design sensibility, unparalleled operational excellence, a heightened member experience, and strong brandbuilding capability to the value segment, where the conventional wisdom is that you get what you pay for.

Known for its signature Mood Above Muscle™ philosophy, which celebrates the positive emotions generated by

Franchising USA

exercise as opposed to solely focusing on physical benefits, Blink Fitness brings this philosophy to life through key areas the brand has identified as essential to a great member experience, and that differentiate Blink from other fitness clubs.

“We believe we have perfected our model and are positioned for immense growth”, said Todd Magazine, executive vice president and general manager of Blink Fitness. “Given our confidence in the concept, we are ready to expand our presence beyond the New York metropolitan area. And while we are still dedicated to growing our companyowned business, we’re looking forward to offering franchise opportunities to propel expansion across the U.S.

An authentic rags-to-riches story, Mario made it through hard work and perseverance. He started out as a NYC Sanitation worker doing tax returns on the side and went on to own 99-tax preparation offices nationwide.

Among his biggest hurdles was growing up in a non-traditional household. He is the son of a single mom who died at a very early age. Mario is now turning his success into opportunity for anyone looking to own their own business.

Happy Tax (www.GetHappyTax.com) is a departure from the status quo. “It’s akin to the restaurant experience. The dining is done out front while the preparation is done in the kitchen,” says Costanz.

The Happy Tax model allows anyone to start a seasonal tax preparation business without any knowledge of accounting as returns are prepared by Happy Tax’s back office of expert CPAs. Clients come from the franchisees network of friends and family as well as innovative marketing.

Follow Blink Fitness on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest news and trends. To learn more about franchise opportunities with Blink Fitness Franchising, Inc. visit the website.

As a believer of ‘giving back’, Mario has pledged to waive the usual $10,000 franchise fee for single moms interested in becoming a Happy Tax franchisee. Says Costanz, “This opportunity is my way of honoring single moms everywhere.”

www.blinkfranchising.com.

www.happytax.com

Philly’s Best Celebrates Summer with Annual Hoagie Jam Philly’s Best Cheesesteaks, Southern California’s destination for authentic Philly Cheesesteaks and Hoagies, has kicked off the summer season with its annual Hoagie Jam promotion and offering delicious Hoagies for only $5.99 each through August 22.

In addition to this smokin’ hot deal, Philly’s Best is giving guests a chance to win free Hoagies for a year by sharing their delicious Hoagie experience on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

“Summer is always an exciting season at Philly’s Best because we get to bring back Hoagie Jam, which has become a fan favorite amongst our Hoagie-loving fans!” said Bob Levey, co-founder.

“From the East Coast shores to the sunny beaches of So Cal, there are no substitutes when it comes to an authentic Philly Hoagie and we hope our guests take advantage of this sweet deal while it lasts!”

This year, Philly’s Best fans can enter the “#Hashtag Your Hoagie & Win” contest by posting a photo of themselves enjoying an authentic Philly’s Best hoagie on social media with the #HoagieJam hashtag. Prizes will be awarded to the top voted photos each week. The photo with the most votes by August 22 will win the grand prize of free hoagies for an entire year. http://on.fb.me/1Ivp8ln

http://eatphillysbest.com/

Sola Salon Studios Celebrates 5,000 Milestone

Sola Salon Studios is celebrating the entrepreneurial spirit of its salon professionals all across the country.

Salon Company tops Forbes’ Franchise to Own List

“Being able to give the American dream to thousands of stylists, it’s been the most rewarding business endeavor we’ve ever done,” said Stratton Smith, co-founder of Sola Salon Studios. “It truly is freedom to live the life you love.” Sola Salon Studios lease highend, private suites to salon professionals.

Founded in 2004, Sola Salon Studios has grown to 5,000 entrepreneurs at 230+ locations nation-wide, including hairdressers, estheticians, nail stylists, massage therapists and other like-minded salon professionals.

These suites are equipped with everything the salon professionals need to operate their own one or two-chair salon.

“The goal is for every stylist to live their best life, and that’s something different for everybody,” said Matt Briger, Smith’s partner and co-founder. “We’re glad to have been featured by Forbes as the #1 Franchise to Buy. With Sola Salon Studios, every salon professional has the ability to design their own space, choose their schedule, set their own prices and pick which products to offer clients. Sola Salon Studios truly allows salon professionals to make their salon their home. www.solasalonstudios.com

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what’s new!

UFC GYM® expands its footprint into Canada

UFC GYM®, the fast-growing fitness franchise that combines Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and fitness, is expanding its footprint into Canada with the impending opening of a new gym in Sherwood Park, Alberta.

The new location considerably expands the geographical reach of UFC GYM, and is the first of several gyms scheduled to open throughout British Columbia, Ontario and Alberta.

Since debuting in 2009, UFC GYM has grown to more than 120 locations in the U.S. and one in Sydney, Australia. The company has continued to grow at a swift

pace with 22 new locations opening in 2014 and an expected 35 additional gyms to open this year. UFC GYM has eleven signature clubs housed at up to 46,000 square feet located in Concord, Rosemead, Corona, South Corona, La Mirada and Torrance, Calif.; Long Island and Manhattan, N.Y.; Honolulu and Waikele, Hawaii; and Sydney, Australia. In addition

to the corporate owned signature clubs,

UFC GYM offers the opportunity to own

and operate the new UFC GYM franchise model ranging from an 8,000 to 12,000

square feet footprint across the U.S. and around the globe.

For franchise information, visit www.ufcgym.com/franchising

The deal with franchisee Ron Ryan, a veteran restauranteur and former V.P. of Operations with 49 unit Maggiano’s Little Italy, raises the total number of planned franchised Dog Haus locations to more than 100 in six states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, and now Texas).

Ryan joins more than 20 franchisees who have been similarly inspired by Dog Haus’ reinvention of the humble hot dog, sausage and burger since Partners Hagop Giragossian, Quasim Riaz & André Vener initially made the decision to franchise in 2013.

DOG HAUS GOES BIG IN TEXAS A 20-UNIT FRANCHISE DEAL IN THE DALLAS AND FORT WORTH COMMUNITIES Dog Haus, a celebrated gourmet hot dog, sausage and burger concept headquartered in Pasadena, California, continues its meteoric path of expansion with the announcement of a 20-unit franchise deal that will bring its one-of-a-kind creations to Texas.

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The first franchise restaurant opened in June 2014, signaling the brand’s growth from two company-owned restaurants in Pasadena with a current total of nine restaurants throughout Southern California, plus, most recently, Centennial, Colorado. Based on current construction timelines, the brand will open 11 additional franchise locations before the end of 2015 raising the total to 20. http://doghaus.com/

HoneyBaked Ham Combines U.S. Operations Honey Baked Ham plans to increase its financial capacity, streamline operations, lower costs and enhance both the speed and flexibility of its decision-making.

Additionally, both the company and its franchisees will benefit from increased efficiencies and effectiveness offered by centralized marketing and sales. Most importantly, customers will benefit through national brand consistency, improved web and e-commerce platforms, grow through omni-channel strategies and overall convenience and access to the brand.

The owners of Honey Baked Ham announced in June they are consolidating three regionalized operating divisions, previously based in Georgia, Michigan and Ohio.

those are franchised units – in 40 states across the U.S. Honey Baked Ham, Inc. continues to operate independently in the state of California under a license agreement.

HoneyBaked is on the fast track to rapid franchise growth this year. Through the first half of the year, HoneyBaked has already penned nearly 10 franchise agreements. More are expected, and franchise opportunities are available nationwide.

The combined organization, The Honey Baked Ham Company, LLC, is headquartered in Alpharetta, Ga. and serves customers online and at more than 400 year round locations – nearly 200 of

As a part of consolidation, Honey Baked Ham is centralizing management, sourcing and operations for the company nationwide. By pooling resources and establishing a single support structure,

www.honeybakedfranchise.com

For more information on the franchise opportunity, email Mark Demis at mdemis@hbham.com or call (866) 968-7424.

Crowning Touch Targets the East Coast for Franchise Launch After 20 years in business, Linda Balentine is franchising her one of a kind business model and challenging the moving industry in the process.

Crowning Touch Senior Moving Services is the only moving company in the U.S. with a consignment shop, auction house and real estate division. “We are a one stop shop for any senior who is down sizing,” says Balentine. “We sell what they don’t want and split the profits with them 50/50. Our customer centric service menu guarantees that we can honor America’s seniors by relieving their stress at a most critical time.” And the four, vertically integrated profit centers, augmented with proprietary software, provides a recession resistant recipe card for franchisees.

Balentine is certain that every major city in America needs a

Crowning Touch. The swelling senior demographic guarantees a growing business opportunity for the next 30 years. While the retail component dramatically augments the standard margins inherent in the moving industry, it also makes moving fun. “We get to recycle back into the community some fantastic assets at very reasonable prices, so everybody wins,” says Balentine.

To investigate this franchise opportunity, go to www.CrowningTouchUSA.com.

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cov er sto ry

U Food G r ill

•

SIMPLE

•

TRENDY

•

TRUE

Get ready America

Your hunger for healthier dining options is here UFood Grill, the awardwinning fast-casual franchise where “delicious meets nutritious,” has announced national expansion plans to meet growing consumer demand for healthier eating options by adding 100 new restaurant locations over the next four years.

Purchased by Healthy Acquisitions, Inc. in 2013 and taken out of bankruptcy, UFood Grill is a new company on a big mission.

According to a survey by the National Restaurant Association, consumers want more restaurants to offer healthy options but rate the leading chains across the country poorly on the availability of those options. UFood Grill is changing that with a recipe for success that includes a savory customizable menu and an inviting franchise development program.

Headquartered in Boston and led by CEO Salvatore Rincione who is also the senior vice president with Healthy Acquisitions, UFood Grill is positioned to win big where a growing appetite for new restaurant

development already exists. The concept, first established in 2004, has fostered a loyal customer base from coast to coast at popular non-traditional sites including locations at airports, military bases and government buildings. Next, UFood Grill will expand on a broader scale and deliver what diners continue to seek in growing numbers: food that not only tastes good but also is good for you.

Fresh Food Comes First Championed by Corporate Executive Chef Keith Seeber, the UFood Grill menu includes chicken, beef, turkey, grilled shrimp and veggie burgers, its famous “Unfries,” steak tips, wraps, bowls, salads and Paninis prepared using natural and organic ingredients, whole grains, light cheeses, and fresh house made dressings.

Meals are low in calories, fat and sodium and made-to-order where nothing is ever fried. And a line of beverages includes real fruit smoothies and specialty teas.

Seeber’s and Rincione’s perspective on the better-for-you menu has translated into a healthful approach for fresh food unlike any other menu in the industry. That means UFood Grill is serving up good food, happy customers, and a growing franchise opportunity in peak demand.

Borrowing on Seeber’s previous experience at chains like Bonefish Grill and Rincione’s national history of growing chains like Planet Hollywood, Five Guys

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•

RAW

•

GOOD

Burgers and Fries, and Red Mango, the executive team looks to fill a new unmet need for the hearts and stomachs of smart consumers.

“We are at the center of an important national movement to bring healthier dining options to a growing customer base,” Rincione says. “People are demanding better food, healthier ingredients and total transparency. While old QSR chains are trying to save their consumer base, shed unfavorable brand identities and catch up, UFood Grill is in a leadership position to expand what we already do so well.”

Vibrant Restaurant Design UFood Grill is raising the bar for restaurant-goers by pairing its attractive food with an equally tempting fast-casual restaurant prototype poised for national expansion.

To bring the concept to Main Street America, UFood Grill enlisted one of the country’s leading restaurant design firms, Interior Systems, Inc., headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., to deliver the new look.

From initial design through manufacturing and installation, ISI is known as a onestop shop for the best interior needs in restaurant, retail and education markets.

The result for UFood Grill is a new logo and a vibrant restaurant design that averages 1,800 square-feet, is flexible enough to accommodate larger or smaller

•

NOW

•

ME

The new UFood Grill res

taurant prototype high lights key themes for the brand: SIMPLE, TRENDY, TRU E, RAW, GOOD, NOW and ME

“UFood Grill is known for its healthy menu and delicious food, and we plan to match that reputation with healthy savings for rapid growth among our franchisees.”

- Bob DiBartolomeo, vice president of franchise development. footprints, includes dine-in seating for up to 36 guests and fits the availability of popular inline retail site opportunities across the country.

It marks a strong entry into the fastestgrowing segment of the restaurant industry where fast-casual brands now account for more than $30 billion of annual revenues – nearly double the growth of any other category in the sector.

UFood Grill plans to open one of the first locations in the greater Boston area by early 2016 in close proximity to corporate headquarters to fulfill site visits for the growing list of franchise prospects attending UFood Grill Discovery Days.

Lean and Mean Incentives Supporting growth expectations, UFood Grill has rolled out its new “Lean and Mean Deal” – a franchise incentive program that will offer deep discounts for

a limited time on the initial franchise fee for multi-unit development agreements of three or more locations.

“UFood Grill is known for its healthy menu and delicious food, and we plan to match that reputation with healthy savings for rapid growth among our franchisees,” says Bob DiBartolomeo, vice president of franchise development.

The “Lean and Mean” incentive program features a $35K franchise fee for the first location and a $10K franchise fee per additional restaurant on agreements of three or more traditional restaurants.

The company is welcoming experienced restaurant operators and multi-unit franchise investors for franchise development.

More information about UFood Grill franchise opportunities is available at http://www.ufoodgrill.com/own-a-grill/

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ex per t advice

Bob McDevitt, Senior Vice President of Franchise Development, Golden Corral

Secrets

to Successful Franchising Franchising has proven to be an incredibly successful business model, giving millions of Americans the ability to operate their own business.

There are currently more than 780,000 franchise establishments in the United States, providing more than 9 million jobs for people across the country. The franchising business continues to grow with a projection of $521 billion GDP in 2015, which would be an increase from $496 billion generated in 2014.

Franchises come in all shapes and sizes, from restaurants, lodging, automotive and retail products, to business and personal services.

So how are some of the top franchises successful? There is no one-size-fitsall philosophy. What works well for a particular franchise may not for another one in a different industry. But there are some traits many franchises share that establish a solid foundation and continue to keep brands successful and relevant over the years.

Franchises often have a blueprint for their

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“Implementing new ideas will not only drive additional business to your franchise but energize and motivate franchisees and employees throughout the system.” franchisees to follow and programs to help in their development. At Golden Corral, we have many systems in place to try to ensure a new location will be successful from the moment it opens its doors. These include a detailed site selection process, training programs, recruiting tools and operation manuals. For more than 30 years, we also have used a personality profile assessment that draws a clear correlation between certain score levels and more successful hires and lower turnover rates. Many franchises have similar support systems in place to give their franchisees everything they need to be successful from the outset.

Every franchise should have a great core product or service that consistently drives business to their organization. The most successful franchises, however, know the best ways to respond to consumer interests and how to reinvent themselves over time. One of the franchisor’s greatest responsibilities is to keep the product fresh and desirable for their customers. This is where the company’s creativity and flexibility is tested. They can’t fall into the trap of thinking “we have never done that before” or “it’s too complicated” to sabotage fantastic new ideas before they even get off the ground. Implementing new ideas will not only drive additional business to your franchise but energize and motivate franchisees and employees throughout the system.

New concepts can be created through research and development, focus groups and partnerships with industry experts.

They can also be found in constant observation of the market and the fundamental ability to recognize good ideas. Golden Corral has implemented new concepts through a number of outsidethe-box approaches over the years. The pot roast recipe we use was given to our

executives by an owner of an independent restaurant in Nebraska.

Several years ago, our current CEO Lance Trenary passed by an Asian buffet in Indianapolis with a line out the door.

He did a U-turn and saw people lined up with a strawberry on a stick to dip it in a chocolate fountain. He brought the concept to Golden Corral, and the “Chocolate Wonderfall” is now one of our signature offerings.

Just like keeping an eye out for good ideas, good franchisors will listen to their franchisees to get their feedback, suggestions and thoughts on what will improve business. There is the saying that “if two people in business agree on everything, one of them is unnecessary.”

Franchisees can challenge management, let them know what the customer is thinking and offer recommendations from their perspective. Franchisees can make companies better if leaders are willing to let them participate in key decisions.

While franchises need to develop new and fresh concepts over time, they also have to consistently update company infrastructure. In the restaurant industry, a tired and outdated facility is a competitive disadvantage. Golden Corral requires facility updates every seven years, and we often see a considerable increase in business after a remodel. Similarly, franchises in other industries often upgrade display rooms, equipment and products to increase efficiency and give an entirely new appearance and perception of the operation. These changes are seen by the consumer and help position the franchise as staying up to date in the changing marketplace.

Franchises work hard to incorporate all the methods listed above and more into their business to keep it successful. So

what else to they have to do? Tell people about it. There are many businesses out there, and customers have increasingly more options to spend their dollars.

Franchises must effectively market their business and communicate directly to potential customers. They should tout their own success and tell people why they are the best. Advertising is a major factor in promoting the value of a franchise.

There are a number of different methods franchises take to ensure their businesses thrive and grow. While their approaches may vary, many of the top franchises use the practices listed above to create a consistently successful brand.

Bob McDevitt is Senior Vice President of Franchise Development at Golden Corral, the nation’s largest grill-buffet chain. He has spent more than 40 years in marketing and operations with top restaurant brands such as Pizza Hut, Tony Roma’s, Arby’s and Golden Corral. McDevitt joined Golden Corral as Chief Marketing Officer in 1994, responsible for marketing, food and beverage, purchasing and distribution.

In 2004, he was promoted to Senior Vice President of franchising, overseeing franchise operations, franchise sales and quality assurance. McDevitt is a Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) and currently serves on the International Franchise Association Board of Directors. www.goldencorral.com

Bob McDevitt

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ex per t advice

Chris Poelma, President, NCR Small Business, NCR Silver

Franchise Restaurateurs Increasingly See

Technology as a Crucial Ingredient You’ve likely heard the oft-repeated stat that 60 percent of restaurants typically fail within the first year and that 80 percent typically go under within five.

While franchise restaurants tend to face better odds, smart culinary entrepreneurs of all stripes are increasingly leveraging technology in their bids to better their chances.

According to The 2015 NCR Restaurant Technology Pulse, a majority of restaurant owners and managers – 67 percent – believe technology has a “direct impact” on increased revenue and viability. That’s a legit number to consider when planning how not to become yet another flash in the pan.

NCR Small Business commissioned the survey, which polled owners and managers of franchise eateries and small independent restaurants, to uncover how technology is used and perceived in the foodservice marketplace. After seeing the results, it’s clear that franchise restaurants – from

Franchising USA

“While late to the tech buffet compared to other industries, restaurant owners and managers are adding tablets, Wi-Fi, apps and other tools to their must-have menus.”

Restaurants “Like” Having an Online Presence Speaking of customers, more restaurants are using technology to better connect with current and potential patrons.

Almost 70 percent of survey respondents have accounts on social media, meaning they can easily engage with diners who are “liking” and commenting about their experiences. Moreover, survey respondents cited Facebook as the best place to advertise or offer deals for their restaurants.

Besides social media, 63 percent of restaurant owners shared that they have traditional websites. This is a great sign for both the restaurant industry and foodies alike. With a web presence, restaurateurs can increase their exposure and give even more potential customers a taste of their stories.

fast casuals to cafés – are becoming much more efficient and sophisticated thanks to high-tech tools.

Mobile POS Beats Out Mobile Apps One of the primary benefits of technology is its ability to improve performance.

Eighty-nine percent of franchise restauranteurs, for example, attributed cash registers and credit card readers to boosting productivity at their business.

Meanwhile, 84 percent said Wi-Fi improves efficiency, and 78 percent said the same about mobile POS solutions.

Further, mobile POS solutions outranked accounting software, inventory management and mobile apps when it came down to which solutions restaurant owners and management rely on most.

Beyond more flexibility at the point of sale, restaurant owners and managers want mobile point-of-sale solutions that are easy to implement and can manage a variety of other operational needs like inventory, loyalty and even email marketing. This is especially important as even franchise restaurants sometimes run low on resources.

Here’s a quick glance at how mobile POS solutions and other business technologies

stack up in the eyes of survey respondents: • Cash registers (91 percent) • Wi-Fi (74 percent) • Mobile point-of-sale (60 percent) • Accounting software (58 percent) • Inventory management (54 percent) • Time clock software (53 percent) • Voice and broadband services (52 percent) • Mobile apps (42 percent)

More Money, But More Tech Problems While technology often yields positive results around profits and efficiency, only 31 percent of restaurant owners and managers have an internal employee dedicated to managing it for their businesses. In addition, a majority of respondents (83 percent) ranked costs to maintain or upgrade technology as one of the biggest obstacles that keep them from adopting new technologies.

Although technology can be challenging for some restaurant owners and managers to implement, the benefits absolutely outweigh the potential costs. Tech tools that are intuitive and comprehensive can enhance business operations and ultimately improve customer satisfaction.

Reserve a Space for Tech that Serves ROI Ultimately, restaurant owners and managers tackle a variety of business challenges from inventory management to customer service to marketing.

While late to the tech buffet compared to other industries, restaurant owners and managers are adding tablets, Wi-Fi, apps and other tools to their must-have menus.

As the need to keep up with the pace of innovation grows, it’s important that franchise restaurants leap into tech in a strategic and conscious manner that enables them to streamline processes, modernize operations and, ultimately, drive revenue.

Chris Poelma is GM and president of NCR Small Business and NCR Silver. www.ncrsilver.com

Chris Poelma

Franchising USA

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spotlight o n serv ice

Top Fire M edia

Franchise marketing company

does it all for clients

TopFire Media plays multiple roles for its clients. Founder and president Matthew Jonas likened the company to a doctor, assessing the pain points for clients and then prescribing a treatment in the form of an integrated marketing strategy and campaign customized to clients’ needs, budgets and goals.

Franchising USA

TopFire Media builds online reputations for the brands it represents and grows brand awareness for consumers and franchisees, Jonas said during a recent interview from the company’s headquarters in the Chicago area. The company serves franchises that want to promote themselves to potential franchisees, as well as a number of nonfranchised companies, across a range of industries.

Rather than clients relying on separate

Using a calculated blend of public relations, content marketing, social media, search engine optimization (SEO), email marketing, pay-per-click advertising, organic LinkedIn traffic and more, TopFire Media positions its clients as thought leaders in their industries, complete with a spot on the first page of Google search results for keywords in their industry.

“At the end of the day, we want to attract

service providers for public relations,

SEO and other critical digital marketing activities, TopFire provides all those

services in one place for franchisors with the goal of attracting the best franchisee prospects. Jonas described TopFire as

being focused on generating results rather than pushing just one or two marketing vehicles.

from the digital, online and offline world,” Jonas said. “We want to attract the very

best and highest quality candidates to our clients’ websites so that we can convert them at the website level. That, in turn, leads to the kinds of conversations that generate franchise sales.”

“We want to attract the very best and highest quality candidates to our clients’ websites so that we can convert them at the website level.”

Experience counts TopFire Media’s team of experts understands the digital landscape, and the company’s PR professionals have been helping clients with branding needs for years. They have affiliations with iFranchise Group and Franchise Dynamics, who bring decades of experience in franchise consulting and sales. Through these affiliations, Jonas explained, the company has generated hundreds of thousands of leads for clients.

“We really understand what the digital roadmap is for a franchisor,” Jonas said.

This experience allows them to act like a sherpa, he said, and guide clients, helping them avoid marketing potholes like certain techniques or tools that don’t work.

In fact, TopFire Media has been honored with achievements that include an honorable mention for best media relations campaign and best new website in 2014 by PR News, as well as Ragan and PR Daily’s 2014 Best New Agency award.

A flexible marketing agency One of TopFire Media’s major strengths is its agility. The agency develops online marketing strategies from an ROI standpoint and through bi-weekly and monthly reporting it is able to figure out what’s working and what’s not working for individual clients. This way, the team can quickly allocate budgets based on those results, shifting the focus of marketing essentially on the fly. A lot of agencies take two or three months to make a shift in strategy, but TopFire Media can do it in two or three weeks, Jonas said.

“We can look at the insight we have from our campaigns and say ‘Here’s the ROI, here’s the type of traction and results we’re generating for our client’,” he said.

“We have the ability to make strategic, calculated changes efficiently. We’re agile enough to do that with our clients.”

By building their clients’ online reputation and ensuring it remains consistent across all digital platforms, TopFire Media helps to position clients as industry leaders.

The agency also concentrates efforts on showing that franchisors have strong franchisees, as potential franchisees will look for that as an indication of how good a franchise system is.

While TopFire Media’s goal is to increase clients’ visibility online and expand brand presence, Jonas said, their most important job is to increase traffic for clients and attract the highest quality leads for them.

The first dozen or so franchisees are the most important keys to a franchise’s growth, Jonas outlined, and TopFire Media understands this, which is why franchisors appreciate the company. Typically, once a franchisee signs, TopFire Media will extend its services to individual franchisees to help them grow their businesses – creating a stronger overall franchise system.

Currently, TopFire Media has a growing roster of clients and continues to expand to provide services to additional franchise systems.

Beyond marketing the franchise to potential franchisees, TopFire Media also helps with web development for franchisee recruiting. The company can often spot trends in digital marketing, which enables them to anticipate website needs for its clients.

For example, Jonas said, in April, Google announced it would be giving preference to websites that were mobile responsive and had mobile capabilities.

“That’s something where we were two months ahead of the curve for our clients, making sure all their websites were responsive on mobile so they didn’t lose any online sales,” Jonas said.

Being a one-stop, full service agency for clients in the franchise community allows TopFire Media to generate those coveted long-term relationships with clients, as it is able to grow and increase services as client companies expand. This reduces the cost of overall campaigns, compared to a franchise having to engage several different service providers.

Whether it’s playing the role of a doctor or a sherpa, TopFire Media helps nurture and guide client businesses with all its available services to attract the best entrepreneurs.

The company is offering complimentary digital marketing assessment to all Franchising USA readers.

For more information, visit http://www.topfiremedia.com or email info@topfiremedia.com.

Matthew Jonas

Franchising USA

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ex per t advice

Andre Kay, CEO & Founder, Sociallybuzz

3 signs

your small business is ready for Snapchat If you haven’t noticed by now, consumers are making a huge social shift from Instagram to Snapchat. The migration over to the popular self-destructing photo and video social network is happening right before our eyes.

Andre Kay

Franchising USA

Snapchat is a multifunctional app: people use it to communicate one-to-one, one-to-few, and one-to-all. They share moments, not just pretty pictures, through stills and videos with added captions, doodles, and filters to make them even more fun and personal. The social shift is official when a majority of consumers start to make an announcement on all

“If you start using it now, you will find your Snapchat voice by the time competitors try to learn how to use it.” their other social media networks to join them on a newer or more popular social network.

When this shift starts, it is when I start to recommend small businesses prepare a marketing strategy for that network.

The first movers will dominate and connect with their consumers faster than their competitors. Social savvy small businesses know that taking advantage of social media to market their products and services can be very cost-effective to drive sales and consumer engagement.

Using Snapchat as a marketing tool goes against everything you’ve learned about marketing from the dawn of time, which is creating repetition and staying in front of a potential customer as long as possible. On Snapchat, you only have a limited amount of time for your target audience to see your promotion before it disappears forever.

Before you dive head first in to Snapchat, please do your due diligence as you would with any other marketing strategy. Here are three factors to determine if your small business is ready to make the shift:

1

Target Audience

Does your small business target audience align with Snapchat’s user demographic? Snapchat’s demographic is users ages 16 to 24, but I predict this age range will drastically shift to 18 to 40 as more people migrate from Instagram to Snapchat over the next 12 months.

Snapchat already has over 24 million adults using the social network.

If your target audience falls within the former, then you’re right on time to take advantage of the social network before it gets overcrowded with your competitors.

If it falls within the latter, you should still take advantage of Snapchat, but more on a planned roll-out approach. Your main focus should be on learning from other brands while getting your team familiar with the channel. This could be an upside for your business as you have more time to carefully plan a strategic approach to using Snapchat in order to engage with your existing customer base and attracting new customers.

2

Real-Time Readiness

Do you want your small business to engage with your customers in a new interactive and fun way? You already mastered Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and others; now it’s time to experiment with Snapchat.

One of the earliest adopters of this channel was 16 Handles. 16 Handles is known as the first brand to create and execute a marketing campaign using Snapchat.

Its “Snappy New Year” campaign urges the company’s Facebook fans to send a Snapchat photo of themselves or friends at their stores to the company’s Snapchat.

In return, participants got a coupon for anywhere from 16% to 100% off a purchase. They then had to use Snapchat to access and redeem the coupon while at the register.

This promotion kept fans actively engaged with 16 Handles, and it also provided customers with an incentive to visit again and spend more money. As an early adopter before all these new updates and changes, 16 Handles did it right. Imagine the possibilities of what your business can accomplish using Snapchat now!

3

Time

Do you have enough time to invest in a channel that can completely change the way you drive new sales to your business?

Snapchat requires time and dedication to develop cool, fun and creative content.

Snapchat users now send 700 million snaps per day and view 1 billion stories per day. Stories are a Snapchat function that allows users to share snaps with all of their followers. Snaps in stories live for 24 hours instead of a few seconds.

According to a Cowen social user survey, on average, Snapchat’s U.S. Internet users 18 and older spend 17 minutes per day with the service. Compare that to 17.1 minutes spent per day on Twitter and 21.2 minutes per day on Instagram. Existing and potential consumers are already using this outlet to engage with their friends.

If you want to succeed on Snapchat, you need to dedicate time to develop the content that will get noticed in those 17 minutes.

Not many companies are using Snapchat yet. If you start using it now, you will find your Snapchat voice by the time competitors try to learn how to use it, and you’ll already have experience using the latest Snapchat features, engaging with your customers, and creating amazing promotions for your small business.

To learn more about all the changes made last year on all the social media channels, including Snapchat, click here to download my e-book, “The Big #Buzz of Social Media Changes.”

Andre Kay is CEO and founder of Sociallybuzz, which exists to help businesses grow using social media. By helping them reach relevant customers, build customer loyalty, mange reputation and increase revenue. We protect relationship with their customer, create effective campaigns, manage their social channels and online reputation 24/7. Read the company’s blog and follow it on Twitter and Instagram. www.sociallybuzz.com

Franchising USA

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pro file

Fence D y na mics -

B l as e B is c e g li a, P re s i d e nt & C E O

Fence Franchise Works with the Competition, Not Against It In the biblical story, David defeats the giant warrior Goliath in an unexpected way. According to the legend, David defeats Goliath by first hitting him with a rock from a sling. In modern times, the tale is often used to describe someone facing a giant problem or impossible situation.

That can be the way some business owners describe the competition between small and large franchises. In the eyes of most people, small franchises have a tough time competing with larger ones that offer the same or similar services and products.

That is, unless the owners of that small franchise look at the issue from a unique perspective.

Blase Bisceglia, founder of Fence Dynamics, is one of those franchises.

Based in Port Charlotte, Florida, Fence Dynamics provides custom fencing solutions to residential, commercial and industrial properties. In addition to creating a revenue stream of its own, Fence Dynamics has cultivated a partnership that adds a whole new level of benefits for the

“Under the agreement, a customer can purchase a fence at a Home Depot store and then call Fence Dynamics to provide the materials and installation.�

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“Fence Dynamics provides custom fencing solutions to residential, commercial and industrial properties.”

In the Biblical story, David initially put on a coat of mail and a brass helmet and girded himself with a sword: he prepared to wage a conventional battle of swords against Goliath. But then he stopped, realized he was out of touch with this kind of armor and picked up several stones.

With the end of the legend firmly in place, anyone who reads it realizes David’s greatest strength. It’s acknowledging his weaknesses and choosing an unconventional strategy.

franchise, another large company and even the customer.

How? In addition to its own clientele, Fence Dynamics is a contractor with large big box stores, such as Home Depot. Under the agreement, a customer can purchase a fence at a Home Depot store and then call Fence Dynamics to provide the materials and installation.

At first glance, it may seem that the majority of the benefit goes to the larger company. As with any partnership, there are benefits on all sides. This kind of partnership does cut some costs for large stores, perhaps without cutting on quality.

The large store is now able to provide a wider range of services, without having to bear the brunt of material and labor costs.

For Fence Dynamics, partnering with a large company allows it to have a greater customer base. As a small franchise, it does not have the name recognition that a Fortune 500 Company does. Partnering with a larger company does help with

brand awareness and revenue stream.

The third biggest benefit in this kind of partnership actually goes to the customer.

That is because the customer can still get a quality product, from a name brand store that they are familiar with, and have more financial options than they may get with a smaller business.

That last part may be the one thing that smaller businesses can’t compete with against larger franchises. Financing, even within a company, has to take outside factors into account. A bank is much more likely to offer lines of credit to large, more established businesses than a small one.

Which means small businesses may not have the option to offer customers who are making a large purchase. That is why a strategic partnership can be of value to the customer. In this case, the person who purchases a fence from Home Depot can do so through a credit card with the store. That person may possibly even get a certain discount for doing that. The fence will still be installed by Fence Dynamics.

Simply being a small franchise may not necessarily be a weakness in business terms. But one could argue that what Fence Dynamics and Home Depot are doing is a bit unconventional.

Nevertheless, together both are getting the job done and benefitting their collective customers.

This summer, with the relationship firmly in place, Home Depot and Fence Dynamics are teaming up for a charitable project – donating a fence to a veteran and his family at their home in Southwest Florida. It’s an idea conceived by Home Depot, but realized with the help of Fence Dynamics. Sure it’s a shift, but one that quite possibly puts both businesses on equal ground.

Blase Bisceglia is the president and CEO of Fence Dynamics, the premier fencing franchise in Southwest Florida. Blase has more than 25 years of experience with the nation’s leading building companies, and is now the owner and operating of both Fence Dynamics and Tarpon Bay General Contracting.

Fence Dynamics installs every type of fence available to commercial, residential and industrial properties. Currently Fence Dynamics is expanding through franchising.

For more information visit fencedynamicsfranchise.com.

Franchising USA

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ex per t advice

Christopher Conner, President, Franchise Marketing Systems

Managing Relationships

with Franchisees and character to be done right. One needs to be sales oriented, relationship driven, flexible, patient, a mentor and extremely good at thinking outside of the box. In the franchise business it seems that more often than not, things fall outside of the box.

Christopher Conner

As a franchisor, a business owner becomes a leader, coach, counselor and family member all rolled into one. It is an extremely complex and dynamic role for a business person to manage the responsibilities that come with being a franchisor.

The good ones have a unique skill set and a solid foundation as a business person which is needed in franchising to be successful. Franchising successfully is dependent on a specific personality type

Franchising USA

When considering whether to franchise your business, it would make sense for you to evaluate how you manage relationships.

Right? Many new franchisors overlook this all too important element of building a franchise organization. When you franchise a business, you are in effect developing relationships with other independent entrepreneurs. Franchisees are not employees, they also are not partners. In order to franchise a business successfully, it takes leadership who can be “friends” with a large array of personalities.

We have worked with many franchisors, large, small, service based, restaurant and retail and everything in between. What has made the big ones big and kept the small ones small? In our opinion, it has been the franchisor’s ability to make friends with people. It seems trivial, but a great franchisor is typically the most liked person in the room.

Franchisees are a delicate breed. They require structure, content, value, constant reassurance that they made the right decision in investing in your franchise and on top of that, they require love and attention. Great franchise systems have valuable content to deliver throughout the training, support and implementation

processes and also can manage and build upon personal relationships with each of the franchisees.

When considering whether to franchise your business, you should look yourself in the mirror and decide whether you are the type of business owner that can “play” with others or are you a lone ranger who has difficulty sharing the pie. If you find that you are the latter, you probably are not made for franchising and the responsibilities that come with it.

Here are some other things to look at: 1. Franchisees are people who fall somewhere between entrepreneurs and employees of a specific organization.

They have the drive, independence and commitment to succeed on their own, but you want them to follow a specific game plan in the way that they operate their business. This independent vs. structured partner makes the management and interaction with franchisees unique and complex. A good franchisor knows how to harness the positive side of a franchisee’s entrepreneurial energy without letting anyone forget who the sheriff is and keeping everyone in line.

2. Franchising is a business process that relies on volume. For the franchise distribution channel to work successfully and with complete efficiency, it requires volume. With a large number of units, there are certain to be many different personalities, people and backgrounds amongst the franchise partners of any given franchise system. Franchisors who

can manage the different personalities and keep as many people happy at one time will tend to do best in this business.

Entrepreneurs who recognize that this may not be a skill set for them are better off to hire a franchise director that has this skill set needed to take a franchise system to the next level of growth.

3. When you franchise your business, it is a fast paced business growth model. As a business owner, you surely have had that feeling before when it is like you’re on a bull that is a little out of control and you can’t fully get your footing underneath you. While this can be a good thing, meaning growth and change are taking place, it also can be unsettling for some who may not be able to manage this kind of pace. Franchise systems average over ten new units open per year when marketing aggressively and in the later stages of their maturity. It can be fun...or scary depending on what type of person you are.

“When considering whether to franchise your business, you should look yourself in the mirror and decide whether you are the type of business owner that can “play” with others or are you a lone ranger who has difficulty sharing the pie.”

Franchisees take time, energy and a lot of patience, particularly when they first open their franchised business.

sales and franchise development work.

We have worked with franchisors who have had difficulties with partnerships in the past and can’t seem to keep a strategic partnership together for longer than a month without a fight breaking out or some major disagreement ensuing between the leadership of both organizations – taking heed to the insight above will ensure that you mesh with your franchisees, and will be advantageous to all parties involved.

franchise marketing and franchise sales

Christopher Conner is the President of Franchise Marketing Systems. Mr. Conner has spent the last decade in the franchise industry working with several hundred different franchise systems in management, franchise

Marketing from DePaul University in

His experience ranges across all fields of franchise expertise with a focus in but includes work in franchise strategic planning, franchise research and franchise operations consulting.

Christopher has worked with multiple International franchise and licensed organizations throughout the United States, Middle East, India and Europe.

He has an MBA in Finance and Chicago and a Bachelors Degree from Miami of Ohio.

For more information visit: www.franchisemarketingsystems.com

Franchising USA

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ex per t advice

Kyle Zagrodzky, President, OsteoStrong

What I’ve Learned:

From Opening Franchise Locations Nationwide you want and making appropriate choices along the way. Regardless of whether you’re thinking about franchisee connectivity or CRM systems, maintaining balance and perspective is at the heart of everything.

Know what you are, and plan for what you want to be Kyle Zagrodzky

Three years ago, I set out to revolutionize the health and wellness world with a new concept called OsteoStrong with a heavy emphasis on fracture prevention through improving bones, muscles and balance.

Last year, we signed major contracts that represented a commitment to open 500 new locations nationally, and we’re still growing. OsteoStrong was so completely different that it was hard for some people to understand at first, and we quickly learned a lot about the importance of sticking with our vision as we grew. It’s all about understanding not only what your franchise is, but also what you want it to be down the road.

Every franchise is different, but they’re all created with growth in mind. One of the defining factors that separates successful franchises from flops is knowing what

Franchising USA

When growing a franchise, planning is everything. Whether you’re an organic nut packing company or a fitness center, you need a clear picture of where you want the business to go before you can move forward. Some people might just want to open 20 locations in 20 years, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Others have their eye on the global prize. Whatever you want your business to become, having distinct goals will help you make much better choices and be much happier.

Lots of franchisees assume a “deal with it tomorrow” attitude when it comes to making serious decisions about how their business will operate on a larger scale. It’s easy to say you’ll make choices later— when you may have more time, more help, or more money—but it’s important to make decisions today that will help operations function better tomorrow.

Decide on infrastructure before you think you need to Starting franchises is complicated, but a lot of the headaches having to do with a successful launch can be solved with a reliable Customer Relations Management system (CRM).

Consider something as mundane as paperwork. Every new location requires a

substantial amount of legal documentation with plenty of signatures. Traditionally, this required multiple document shipments back and forth that came with expense, lag time, complications from write-ins, and delays if a signature was skipped. With the right electronic signature tracking system coupled with a good CRM, you can manage all legal documents and signatures through an online portal that makes complex documentation simple to view, sign, and manage. The CRM can keep track of all franchisees, notes, and operations right down to the point of sale. Franchisees and corporate should be connected through the same CRM to increase visibility and avoid headaches and mismatched information.

CRM costs are predictable and generally increase only as new franchises open, so implementing the ideal system the first time is a worthy investment. The highest and most painful expense you can experience in this area is selecting the wrong CRM. Changing it later can come with a high cost, and a lot of heartache.

Take your time, choose wisely, and choose early.

Never lose sight of the franchisee perspective My first franchise encounters were with a phenomenally successful business that experienced epic growth in a short timeframe. It was a great company, but growth became so paramount that leadership lost their focus on training and connecting with franchisees. Over time, it’s easy for franchisees scattered throughout a broad territory to feel disconnected, ignored, and helpless in hard times.

Here’s where balance comes back into play: As you lead your brand, never forget about your franchisees. To build a truly successful franchise family from day one, a company has to have outstanding systems for franchisee training, networking, and accessibility.

Franchisor delivery systems will always be slower than a franchisee’s needs, so before we did a national launch of OsteoStrong, we invested in a portal that gave franchisees on demand resources.

Our team members can instantly access video training, press releases, white sheets, operations manuals, collateral, and other helpful tools that answer plenty of questions immediately which eliminated a lot of administrative stresses. We also touch base with every franchisee by phone at least once a week and have a Facebook group to help keep everyone connected with one another.

Protect your brand identity, especially when you’re new When you have a new concept, everyone wants to give you advice, but it’s important to safeguard your core idea and brand

“One of the defining factors that separates successful franchises from flops is knowing what you want and making appropriate choices along the way.” identity from brand-creep. Everyone from franchisees to friends will want to offer ideas, and it becomes tempting to tweak and modify your brand as you navigate through the early years. However, you have to maintain a centralized vision to keep your company from being diluted by too many outside perspectives that can’t see the vision for your brand the way you do.

Too many interesting brands start with a successful concept that people love, but over time they try to be everything to everyone and are lured into markets they can’t excel in. The result is a murky, confused concept that appeals to no one, and the original winning brand sputters out. Resist the temptation to make changes or tweaks that pull away from your core values.

No matter what your franchise is about, staying grounded in the vision of your brand and growth ideals is essential to your company’s health today and years in the future. Never lose sight of

infrastructure, make franchisees a priority, and keep your eye on the long-term goal as your guiding light.

Kyle Zagrodzky is president of OsteoStrong, the health and wellness system with a focus on stronger bones, muscles, and balance in less than 10 minutes a week using scientifically proven and patented osteogenic loading technology. OsteoStrong introduced a new era in modern fitness and anti-aging in 2011 and has since helped thousands of clients between ages 8 and 98 improve strength, balance, endurance, and bone density. In 2014, the brand signed commitments with nine regional developers to launch 500 new locations across America. Today, the OsteoStrong brand is staying true to its growth towards a brand with global reach with the addition of more franchise sales and new regional developers. www.osteostrong.com

Franchising USA

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august 2015

Veterans in Franchising www.franchisingusamagazine.com

Sport Clips HAIRCUTS

FILLING A NICHE A Veteran’s

“Network”

is their new

“Mentor”

The Making of an

American Franchisee Franchising USA

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V eterans in F ranchisin g S upplement au g ust 2 0 1 5 Our Veterans in Franchising special supplement has become a regular feature of Franchising USA. To share your story in the next issue, please contact Vikki Bradbury, Publisher Phone: 778 426 2446 Email: vikki@cgbpublishing.com

Contents Cover Story

News & Expert Advice

30 Sport Clips

34 The Making of an American Franchisee:

Why Franchisors Should Focus on Veterans Lynne Shelton, Shelton & Power

Frachisee in Depth 50 i9 Sports

38 Why Young Veterans Should Consider

Franchising Jim Judy, Franchise Business Consultant

Profiles

48 A Veteran’s ‘Network’ is Their New Mentor Jim Mingey, Veterans Business Services

42 Pinot’s Palette

36 DreamMaker Bath and Kitchen 40 Seven Eleven 46 Budget Blinds Franchising USA

Veter ans in Fr anchising

C over S tor y - Sp o rt Clips H ai rcuts

Sport Clips Haircuts Provides rewarding opportunity by filling niche

haircutter; but none were targeted to the men’s and boys’ haircut market specifically, Logan explains. Barbershops had been declining in number for many years, and men and boys were being left by the wayside as their favorite barbers closed up shop. This created a large niche with little direct competition, one that Logan spotted and filled with great success.

Ideal Franchisees

Since it first opened in Austin, Texas in 1993, Sport Clips Haircuts has continued to fill a niche in the hair care market by specializing in haircut services for men and boys in a unique, sportsthemed environment and the successful business opportunity it provides franchisees.

Two years after Sport Clips Founder and CEO Gordon Logan and his wife, Bettye, established Sport Clips, the company began franchising in 1995. From Austin, the Georgetown, Texas-based franchise

Franchising USA

expanded into Houston and Dallas and beyond. Sport Clips is now the only national hair care brand to have a presence in all 50 states and has over 1,400 locations throughout the United States and Canada.

In addition to standard haircut services, Sport Clips also offers its signature MVP Experience that includes a precision haircut, massaging shampoo, hot steamed towel treatment and neck and shoulder massage.

“When our clients come in to get a haircut, the MVP Experience turns a necessary task into a 20-minute vacation,” Logan says. “While they lead busy lives, we’ve found that our clients come back to us - not just for a haircut – but, for the experience we provide.”

Filling the Void In the early 90s, numerous salon chains marketed to a broad audience as a family

Logan says Sport Clips looks for candidates with strong managerial and communication skills, who enjoy working with people to develop their skills so they can succeed in their profession.

Franchisees will work with their managers to help them develop their team, oversee multiple locations, and network in the local areas to market the businesses and drive sales.

Typically, once an inquiry has been received it will take 40 to 50 days to onboard a new franchisee through a series of interviews and meetings. Once a franchisee, they begin an orientation process that introduces them to the Sport Clips system; they learn various aspects of the business they need to know to be successful, including: the Sport Clips culture, business foundations, real estate selection, marketing, stylist recruiting, operations standards training and team development.

Sport Clips’ franchisee training includes four to five days of management development training in their market and a five-day “Team Leader Training Camp” held in Georgetown prior to opening their first store. Learning continues at their store’s grand opening, and afterwards, through follow-up management

development sessions, which are held quarterly, and at the annual national conference known as the Huddle.

While much of Sport Clips’ expansion is currently focused in the northeastern region of the U.S., the company has territories available throughout the country. Interested parties can visit sportclipsfranchise.com for a complete list of developing areas.

The Sport Clips Difference Although clients have many options to choose from when it comes to hair care providers, Logan says Sport Clips sets itself apart by providing a unique client experience: “What makes Sport Clips different is the experience we provide,” he said. “Our stylists specialize in men’s and boys’ haircuts and receive continual education to stay abreast of current trends. And, if you’re a traveler within the U.S. and Canada, you can get the same experience at any one of our 1,400+ locations.”

While Sport Clips stays true to what it does best, the franchise is always looking for ways to serve its clients better and keep them engaged through initiatives, such as the recent “Instant Replay” promotion where clients who purchased the MVP

“When our clients come in to get a haircut, the MVP Experience turns a necessary task into a 20-minute vacation. “While they lead busy lives, we’ve found that our clients come back to us not just for a haircut – but, for the experience we provide.”

Experience could double their experience at no additional cost, as well as elect to have a chilled towel, instead of a hot towel, on their face to help beat the summer heat, a special offering which proved to be a big hit.

Utilizing technology to benefit client experience is a focus of Sport Clips, as well. Logan says the company is in the process of implementing self check-in technology, which will also display exactly how long (or short) the wait may be for clients, and where each Client is in the queue. “Mobile check-in is not far behind,” he added.

From an owner’s perspective, Sport Clips is the leading hair care franchise that caters to the millions of men and boys in the U.S. and Canada, and offers: • A Multi-Unit ownership opportunity: Sport Clips’ business model allows for a comfortable transition from corporate careers to business ownership for

franchisees when they are ready to “be their own boss.”

• A Semi-Absentee/Manager-Run Business Model: An experienced manager oversees the day-to-day operations and provides leadership for the hair care professionals in the stores.

Sport Clips believes the manager is key to success, and has strong management training programs in place to help them develop their leadership skills.

• Extremely high success rate: While opening over 150 new Sport Clips each year, Sport Clips has had only five locations close since 2010, two of which were leases not renewed due to shopping center problems like closed anchor stores. Logan attributes this to their being very selective about whom they invite to join as franchisees, a comprehensive real estate site selection process, and the intensive training and support programs.

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Veter ans in Fr anchising

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Veter ans in Fr anchising

C over S tor y - Sp o rt Clips H ai rcuts

“From an owner’s perspective, Sport Clips is the leading hair care franchise that caters to the millions of men and boys in the U.S. and Canada.”

to the senior veterans – World War II survivors, along with those other veterans who may be terminally ill. Sport Clips is a proud sponsor of the Austin, Texas Honor Flight division.

Veterans Airlift Command Sport Clips places as much importance on the stylist experience as they do the client and franchisee experience: For example, anti-fatigue “sport court”-type floors are easier on stylists’ backs and feet, and European-style shampoo bowls enable stylists to shampoo from behind standing up, which is also easier on stylists’ backs.

There are also ongoing training, incentive compensation, recognition programs, and career opportunities.

program. By providing scholarships for use at post-secondary schools, including trade schools, our goal is to make the transition from a military career to the civilian workforce a little easier. To date, Sport Clips has given more than $1.2 million in scholarships to help service members and veterans in the next chapter of their lives.

Supporting Veterans

Sport Clips is the primary sponsor for The Ageless Aviation Dreams Foundation, a non-profit organization established and dedicated to honoring seniors and United States military veterans. Through donations, the foundation provides oncein-a-lifetime “Dream Flights” to veterans across the nation, many of whom served during WWII, in a Boeing Stearman biplane, the same aircraft used to train many military aviators in the late ‘30s and early ‘40s.

Logan, who has received the VFW’s James E. Van Zandt Citizenship Award and the Ernst & Young LLP’s 2015 Entrepreneur of the Year award for Central Texas, is also a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. Sport Clips is a proud supporter of a variety of military-focused organizations, including the VFW Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship Program, Ageless Aviation Dreams, Aleethia Foundation, Honor Flight Network and the Veterans Airlift Command.

With a long list of awards to its credit from publications including Forbes and Entrepreneur magazine, Sport Clips continues to grow by offering an outstanding experience to its clients and exceptional opportunities for franchisees and stylists.

Veteran’s Organizations that Sport Clips supports Help A Hero Sport Clips’ “Help A Hero” campaign has raised more than $3 million to help deployed and hospitalized U.S. service members call home through the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ Operation Uplink™ and provide scholarships to active-duty service members and veterans through the VFW’s “Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship”

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The Ageless Aviation Dreams Foundation

Aleethia Foundation The mission of the Aleethia Foundation is to support injured service members with therapeutic recreation, small financial grants, family emergency aid, assistive technology items, and home improvements to assist with an injured service member’s mobility and other unmet needs. Sport Clips is proud to sponsor two “Friday Night Dinners” in 2015. These dinners provide injured veterans and their families with the opportunity to enjoy a great meal while socializing – an integral part of the healing process.

Honor Flight Network Honor Flight Network is a non-profit organization created solely to honor America’s veterans for all their sacrifices.

Honor Flight transports our heroes to Washington, D.C. to visit and reflect at their memorials. Top priority is given

VAC provides free air transportation to post-9/11 combat wounded and their families for medical and other compassionate purposes through a national network of volunteer aircraft owners and pilots. Sport Clips is proud to support VAC by transporting veterans to their destinations throughout the year. www.sportclips.com

Sport Clips Awards • “Best Franchises to Buy” Forbes’ Magazine (2014 and 2015) • “Franchise 500” Entrepreneur Magazine (1999-present) • “Fastest-Growing Franchise” Entrepreneur Magazine (2004– present; Top 10 in 2015) • “Best for Vets” Franchise, Military Times (#1 - 2013; #2 - 2014-2015) • “Top Personal-Service Franchise” Entrepreneur Magazine (2014) • “Top 100 Franchises” Franchise Gator (#1 - 2014 and 2015) • “Top 100 Global Franchises” Franchise Direct (2015) • “Fast & Serious” franchise ranking, Franchise Times (#14 - 2014; #13 2015) • “Top 50” in franchisee satisfaction by both the Franchise Research Institute and the Franchise Business Review.

• “Top 10 Most Popular Franchises for Military Veterans” Entrepreneur Magazine (2011) • We are on the Small Business Administration (SBA) “Top 25” franchisor list for loan payment performance.

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Franchising USA

Veter ans in Fr anchising

Lynne Shelton, Shelton & Power

The Making of an American Franchisee:

Why Franchisors should focus on Veterans Franchisors looking for a laser focused method of growing their systems through choosing the right franchisees, who also have the correct cultural fit for their brand, would benefit by looking to the veteran pool of potential business owners.

Teamwork

Veterans have instilled in them the teamwork diversity and ethical make up that all Franchisors are looking for.

The predisposition to work together, follow orders and help fellow teammates are the qualities that should make Veterans

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The United States military instills teamwork like no other institution in the world. For hours, days and weeks veterans practiced at doing life together as one unit, as one body, and as one mind. Ask any veteran about their favorite teamwork building story and you will undoubtedly also hear about the pain they received when some other member of their unit made a mistake, and the entire unit suffered. This realization ensures that franchisees will not choose to wander away from the system rules for fear that it will hurt the entire system.

a first choice among Franchisors. While speaking at the International Franchise Expo in New York City in June, I had the privilege of having two Veteran couples on my panel while speaking to spouses about The Pros and Cons of Buying a Franchise. Both couples volunteered their time speaking to other potential franchisees, their potential future teammates, to help them make the best decision about franchising. Additionally during the discussion it was shared that both veteran couples commonly assist and communicate with fellow franchisees within their franchise system to help them and communicate best practices so both franchises become more profitable.

You see these franchisees, because they were predisposed to work together,

“Veterans contain unquestioned work ethics, provide diversity across the system and will support and even build teamwork foundations within the franchise brand.” actually do work together to help improve the entire franchise team. When speaking with a franchisor, he stated, “Yes it takes the old saying of “No Man left behind” to an all new level of understanding and towards raising franchisee profitability and unit economics when properly implemented and supported”. (Tom Tipps of Camille’s Hand-Dipped Ice Cream Bars)

Diversity Having diversity within the franchise system allows for many things, including collecting different viewpoints, accurately depicting the franchise brand to the community, and advertising to the masses.

The U.S. military also sees the advantages of diversity and has in the last few decades targeted the increase of diversity within the Armed Forces. They have specifically created “recruitment tours” towards building diversity.

According to an Army web site, the goal of the “Hispanic H2 Tour” was to “Build confidence, trust, and preference of the Army within the Hispanic community” and the “Takin’ it to the Streets Tour” was designed to accelerate recruitment in the African-American community where recruiters were particularly hard-pressed and faced with declining interest in the military as a career.

Having diversity amongst your franchisees will allow prospective franchisees the advantage of different viewpoints, and racial connections. Your consumers will obtain community and social involvement with your franchise brand through diverse franchisees.

Ethical Makeup Altruism, the predisposition to want to make a difference, in themselves and for the communities is a natural attribute of all Veterans.

In addition, the work ethics for veterans are undeniable. They are not afraid to work hard. There is no better training ground for instilling the art of following orders while staying on the same page as all others than within the military.

Many Veterans are also used to having to work to get what they want, having come from challenged home lives. Economic pressure is an undeniable motivation.

Many veterans are determined to obtain what they want, no matter how hard they have to work for it.

Although they may be “plenty smart,” financial hardship drives many to view the military’s promise of money for college as their only hope to study beyond high school. Many have dubbed this the “poverty draft” in today’s volunteer military.

Recruiters may not explicitly target “the poor,” but there is mounting evidence that they target those whose career options are severely limited. According to a 2007 Associated Press analysis, “nearly threefourths of [U.S. troops] killed in Iraq came from towns where the per capita income was below the national average.

More than half came from towns where the percentage of people living in poverty topped the national average.”

When working-class youth make it to their local community college, they often encounter military recruiters working hard to discourage them. “You’re not going anywhere here,” recruiters say. “This place is a dead end. I can offer you more.”

Pentagon-sponsored studies -- such as the RAND Corporation’s “Recruiting Youth in the College Market: Current Practices and Future Policy Options” -- speak openly about college as the recruiter’s number one competitor for the youth market.

These veterans have a burning desire to make more out of their life, to break

Lynne Shelton

through barriers, and achieve their dreams.

Good Franchisors want the exact same thing for their franchisees: for them to have a better life (however the franchisee defines that), to breakthrough market share barriers for the franchise system and for the franchisees to achieve their dreams while doing so.

Franchisors should laser focus their marketing efforts in alignment with recruiting U.S. Armed Forces’ Veterans while awarding franchises. The Veterans contain unquestioned work ethics, provide diversity across the system and will support and even build teamwork foundations within the franchise brand.

Lynne Shelton in a previous life was a franchisor of a large franchise system, and is currently a Senior Partner at Shelton & Power franchise law firm.

Shelton & Power Attorneys have 25+ years’ of business consulting, franchise and trademark experience. Our knowledge facilitates an understanding of a large variety of businesses, services and technologies. We help businesses protect their brands through Trademark, Copyright, and Business contractual transactions. These services allow us to “Expand their Brand” through Franchising. For existing Franchisors, we provide full outsourced in house counsel.

For more information or to schedule a customized consultation for your business you can write to franchising@sheltonpower.com or call (866) 99-FRANCHISE.

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Veter ans in Fr anchising

D rea m M a ker Bath & K itchen

DreamMaker Franchise

Helping Veterans Become Business Owners

DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen, a national home remodeling franchise that grew average location revenue 60% from 2011 to 2014, is offering veterans and their spouses discounts and other assistance to help them become franchise owners.

DreamMaker is no stranger to veteran outreach. Many DreamMaker franchise owners have remodeled homes for disabled veterans — creating more accessible baths and kitchens, and backyard decks with ramps instead of stairs. At the same time, the company has created a path for veterans to move into skilled trades and to become franchise owners.

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“If you are a veteran considering a franchise, and are interested in a creative business that can change lives, I hope you will give us a call.”

Several of DreamMaker’s most successful franchisees come from backgrounds outside the construction and remodeling industry. DreamMaker’s business systems, coaching and support help people learn the business and thrive.

“That’s why we’re excited to speak to veterans,” says President and Chief Stewarding Officer Doug Dwyer.

He notes that while the discount is a small acknowledgement of the sacrifice and dedication of service members, it pays great dividends, adding that veterans make excellent franchise owners. The exact traits that they learn and express through their service — dedication, honor, commitment to excellence, leadership, attention to detail, perseverance, camaraderie — are the same traits that help a business owner succeed, especially when they are able to work with proven systems and enjoy training and ongoing support.

Dwyer’s mission to help veterans runs deep. His father, the late Don Dwyer Sr., was a visionary businessman who also started the International Franchise Association’s VetFran program in 1991 as

- President and Chief Stewarding Officer Doug Dwyer a way to thank veterans returning from the first Gulf War. The program encourages franchise companies to offer discounts to make it easier for veterans to start a business. DreamMaker continues that legacy by providing a $5,000 discount to veterans who are starting a DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen franchise.

Financial incentives, mentoring and education about franchise ownership are all part of the VetFran program, which has helped more than 5,000 veterans become franchise business owners since 2010, according to the International Franchise Association.

“If you are a veteran, first of all, thank you,” says Dwyer. “We owe you a tremendous debt. Without the efforts of you and your fellow service members, we wouldn’t enjoy the freedoms that have allowed us to build a growing business based on biblical principles. The VetFran discount is a small token of our thanks.”

DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen is a remodeling franchise that helps

entrepreneurs and remodelers earn strong financial numbers while having a focus on improving their quality of life.

The company’s franchisees enjoy much stronger margins than most remodelers — more than 40% gross margin on average — and their customers report much, much higher satisfaction, because the strong margins provide remodelers enough resources to provide extraordinary service.

DreamMaker’s business practices are guided by biblical principles of service, respect and integrity — more reasons the company enjoys working with veterans.

“We’ve helped brand new remodelers launch very successful businesses, and have also helped existing remodelers take their operations to the next level by providing training and systems to run a stronger remodeling business,” Dwyer says. “If you are a veteran considering a franchise, and are interested in a creative business that can change lives, I hope you will give us a call.” http://dreammakerfranchise.com

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Veter ans in Fr anchising

Jim Judy, Franchise Business Consultant

Why Young Veterans Should Consider Franchising Each year, hundreds of thousands of veterans say goodbye to the military to begin life as a civilian. For younger veterans, that transition can be difficult.

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A recent study by the Department of Veterans Affairs defined veterans ages 1834 as a “vulnerable population” because their unemployment rate has been 20 percent higher than that of non-veterans.

That’s a shameful statistic considering how much veterans have to offer.

According to a recent story in the New York Times, “companies that employ former military members rank them high in self-discipline, teamwork, attention to

detail, respect and leadership.”

These are certainly desirable qualities.

However, if employers continue to take a

pass on hiring young veterans, they should take a serious look at showcasing their skills as entrepreneurs in the world of franchising.

Vetfran, a strategic initiative of the

International Franchise Association to bring more veterans into franchising,

“Working within a system and executing procedures is what makes franchising such a successful entrepreneurial path.” reports that one in seven franchise businesses are owned and operated by veterans of the U.S. military. More than 66,000 veteran-owned franchise businesses in the U.S. directly provide jobs for 815,000 Americans and generate more than $41 billion in gross domestic product.

So why does franchising make sense for young veterans?

Strong leadership is a must: The military has spent centuries creating leaders that can benefit the private sector.

More than that, many veterans fail to consider the leadership training they’ve received and how it can translate to success as a business owner. Franchisees are part of a system with unmatched support, but they are responsible for leading their franchise’s day-to-day operations. Hiring, training and managing a staff are all part of running a successful business, and strong leadership skills will help an owner guide their team to success.

Resilience: Being in business for yourself is an adventure that will include good days and bad. While most franchise owners are plenty capable of handling the good times, it takes some fortitude to weather the tough times. Veterans are used to facing some of the worst situations on the face of the earth. They’ve learned how to show courage in the face of trouble, control fear, assess situations fully, then act decisively in order to survive. This is a valuable quality when guiding a business through the ebbs and flows of the everchanging American economy.

Teamwork makes the dream work: Franchisees are part of a larger system all working toward a common goal. Veterans thrive on teamwork, and similarly, franchises thrive with a great team in place. The military teaches recruits how to be leaders, but it also

teaches them how to follow. Veterans understand how to play multiple roles for their teams, and as a franchisee, wear multiple hats. They will be managers, accountants, marketers, human resources and the cleaning crew, sometimes all in the same day!

Franchises work within proven systems: Veterans are familiar and experienced when it comes to procedural execution and working within a system. There are few organizations in the world that match the systematic method of success seen in the United States military.

New enlistees are told when to eat, when to sleep, how far to run and how high to jump as they become accustomed to functioning as a soldier. Working within a system and executing procedures is what makes franchising such a successful entrepreneurial path. Franchisees are taught where to locate their business, how to build out the location, what type of marketing works best, how to find the right employees and much more.

The price is right: Along with the fact that many franchises offer substantial discounts to veterans that are awarded a franchise, there are several businessto-business franchises or home-based franchises with a total investment of under $100,000. Younger veterans aren’t as likely to have qualified for a military pension, nor do many of them have much in terms of assets. In fact, according to CNN Money, the median net worth for someone between the ages of 25-34 is under $9,000.

Getting into a franchise without breaking the bank makes sense.

Jim Judy

Start early, enjoy late: A veteran who enlisted in the military at age 18 could have a 15-year military career and be back to civilian life by age 34. That means they’d have 30 or more working years to put toward building a business.

Thanks to the proven successful models of franchises, many offer the added bonus of scalability. That means if you can successfully run one franchise unit, you could likely run more. Starting your path to franchising early gives you lots of time to learn the systems, grow your business and reinvest profits into additional units.

Franchise business consultant Jim Judy has spent the past 20 years in the franchise industry, gaining insightful knowledge and a keen eye for opportunity. His passion is developing relationships with current and hopeful entrepreneurs to assist them on their journey to franchise business ownership. Jim leverages his experience, success and close relationships in the franchise industry to provide valuable consultation free of charge to entrepreneurs looking to explore the benefits of a franchise.

To learn more, call 919-233-3534 or email jjudy@franchoice.com.

“Many veterans fail to consider the leadership training they’ve received and how it can translate to success as a business owner.”

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Veter ans in Fr anchising

7-Eleven

Military Couple Discovers

Franchising is a Match Made in 7-Eleven Heaven A 7-Eleven franchise is a natural fit for veterans

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“As Franchisees, they add solid leadership skills and strong discipline to the creativity, energy and spirit of entrepreneurship.

They are good at dealing with people and with day-to-day challenges.”

- Joe DePinto, 7-Eleven president and CEO, Army veteran.

“While most franchisors share royalties on sales, 7-Eleven shares profits. To the Greens, this meant that 7-Eleven would be equally invested in the success of their store.”

Brian and Theresa Green never thought about running their own business. But with their military careers coming to an end, the young couple knew it was time to explore their options. They had worked as managers in the military, so both were pros at multitasking, organizing and working well under stress. They just hadn’t considered how that experience would translate into business ownership in the civilian world.

Then they discovered franchising with one of the world’s top convenience stores. To their surprise, it was a perfect fit.

The Greens knew the 7-Eleven brand well. But what they didn’t know was that 7-Eleven’s franchise program, business model and training complemented the structure and focus of the military, which made the Greens feel right at home. The couple also learned they had the skills 7-Eleven was looking for in Franchisees.

“We just had to apply everything we learned in a different way,” Brian says.

The 20% franchise fee discount and 65% financing that 7-Eleven offers vets were also a huge draw. “These kinds of incentives allow any dedicated and business-minded veteran the opportunity to own a business,” Brian explains. “It was an opportunity too good to pass up.”

Another big advantage was 7-Eleven’s business model. While most franchisors share royalties on sales, 7-Eleven shares profits. To the Greens, this meant that

“If we have an issue, we know who to call. Our Field Consultant is our safety blanket!” – Brian Green 7-Eleven would be equally invested in the success of their store. Tools and resources were also available, if needed, to help increase their profits – a benefit that gave the first-time business owners added peace of mind.

But it wasn’t just financial support the company offered. 7-Eleven’s training taught them everything they needed to know about running a 7-Eleven business. And once their store was up and running, their Field Consultant was available to answer questions and make recommendations. That same support continues to this day. “If we have an issue, we know who to call,” says Brian. “Our Field Consultant is our safety blanket!”

Today, Brian and Theresa Green are not just business owners. They are successful Franchisees with a brand that is known around the globe. It’s a reality they never expected, but one they enthusiastically embrace. “It’s our store!” says Theresa.

“We’re on a first-name basis with our customers, we love our employees and we work really hard.” Brian agrees. “When you love what you do, sometimes it makes it a little harder to go home at night!”

If you’re a military veteran and are interested in learning more about what it’s like to franchise with the world’s first convenience store, click here. http://www.veteransbusinessservices.us/ product-item/7-eleven/

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Veter ans in Fr anchising

Pinot ’s Palet te

applying Navy principles to franchise employees

A soon-to-be Navy veteran and his wife aim to hold their own franchise employees to the high standard the United States Navy holds its members, hoping it will help lead them to success.

“My friend in Tulsa actually introduced me to Pinot’s Palette,” Julie said during a recent interview from the couple’s Pinot’s Palette franchise in Liberty Station.

Dan and Julie Truckenbrod invested in their Pinot’s Palette franchise in November of 2013 and started operations in San Diego, CA’s Liberty Station in August 2014.

Julie, who used to work for a utility company and who was also a senior manager for a Direct TV call center, said they received a lot of support and training from Pinot’s Palette, including “boot camp” training with the organization at its headquarters in Houston.

Julie said she heard about the fun and unique business concept from a highly reliable source.

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That friend of Julie’s had high praise for the Pinot’s Palette in Tulsa, OK where Julie is from originally. Julie herself had been to an independent paint-and-sip style business and liked the concept, so she knew it would be something she’d be interested in pursuing as a business.

Lots of Support

After they did some research about where

“I also feel like a team with the other franchise owners. Everyone shares their successes and what’s working for them. So, I would recommend [Pinot’s Palette] if someone were interested in opening one.” - Julie Truckenbrod

they wanted to be located and prior to actually signing a lease, representatives from Pinot’s Palette came out and viewed the couple’s proposed locations to figure out which one would be the best.

From the time the couple purchased their franchise until it opened, Julie said, they were privy to extensive start-up support, marketing training, marketing calls, operations calls and training, and a whole host of other aspects of running a franchise business.

“There was extensive support and training prior to opening,” she recalled.

Continuing support is offered in the form of special marketing calls each month and ‘all hands calls’ that include participation from all of Pinot’s Palette’s franchise owners.

Having minimal opportunity to develop an

established business while experiencing the frequent moves with the Navy, Julie was swiftly able to pick up the workplace management, marketing and employer compliance responsibilities to turn Pinot’s Palette – Liberty Station into a profitable operation within the first three months of opening. It’s a lot of work to start a business, even if it is a franchise, she said, and with Dan also working full-time, it makes for a busy household. Ultimately, though, she said, owning and operating their own business is extremely rewarding for the couple.

Julie said they have learned a lot about entrepreneurship since opening their studio. The support they’ve received from Pinot’s Palette’s corporate headquarters has been invaluable, she added, as they always answer questions in a timely manner.

“I also feel like a team with the other franchise owners,” she stated. “Everyone shares their successes and what’s working for them. So, I would recommend [Pinot’s

Palette] if someone were interested in opening one.”

Preparing for the Future Currently, Dan is on active duty Naval Aviator. He is currently doing shore duty work performing financial management for the Navy’s naval aviation branch. He will be retiring from active duty next summer, and Dan said the couple wanted to be prepared for his eventual departure from the Armed Forces.

“We wanted to get something underway and have an income stream before we made that transition,” he said.

Aside from Dan being a currently-serving member of the Navy, the San Diego-based Pinot’s Palette has some other military connections.

Liberty Station, where the couple are renting a space for their paint and sip studio, used to be a naval training center until 1996. Dan’s own father went through his naval training there. Also, scenes from

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Veter ans in Fr anchising

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Veter ans in Fr anchising

Pinot ’s Palet te

“Because of his time in the Navy, Dan knows how to cultivate talent and wants to develop “characters with character,” just the way the Navy develops its members to have good character. the movie Top Gun — which is based on navy pilots — were filmed there.

Dan has been able to take some of his military training and apply it to the Pinot’s Palette business. For example, he said, the Navy has a passion for personal development among its members and Dan, who joined the navy in 1988, has been developing shipmates in the Navy for 25 years.

Because of his time in the Navy, Dan knows how to cultivate talent and wants to develop “characters with character,” just the way the Navy develops its members to have good character. Because of his background, Dan said, he’s always held himself to a high standard of morality and behavior and expects the same from the Pinot’s Palette team members the couple employ.

“Some of those leadership skills I’ve developed over a quarter century apply, some of them don’t,” he said. “In the military, sometimes you do things because you’re ordered to so, whereas we strive to motivate our employees to act for the benefit of the customers enjoyment and conduct business proper processes because it’s the right thing to do, not because the boss said so.”

Dan and Julie have eight employees on staff; six talented artist employees and two bartenders.

Thus far, concentrating on their employees’ personal development has been working well for the couple and it promises to help them with their success in the future.

Overall, with Julie’s employee management, Dan’s leadership experience and a franchise recipe for rapid success, the Truckenbrod family is poised to help San Diego “Paint, Drink, Have Fun” for years to come. www.pinotspalette.com/libertystation

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Veter ans in Fr anchising

B u dg et B linds, I nc

HOME FRANCHISE CONCEPTS ACHIEVES GOAL,

GIVES $1 MILLION IN DISCOUNTS TO U.S. VETERAN ENTREPRENEURS

34 Military Veterans Become Franchise Business Owners with Aid from Fee Discount Program Home Franchise Concepts, Inc. (HFC), parent company of Budget Blinds, Inc., Tailored Living, LLC and American Decorative Coatings, LLC is pleased to announce that the company has achieved its goal of giving $1 million in discounts to U.S. Veterans through its Million Dollar Franchise Event (MDFE) program.

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Through the MDFE program, HFC has welcomed 34 new Veteran business owners to its franchise network. The franchisees, who signed on through the MDFE program, represent a major growth milestone for HFC as nearly 10% of its entire franchise network is now made up of Veterans. To date, HFC has more than 1,100 franchise territories across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

“Reaching this $1 Million milestone is a celebration of the American Heroes that make up 10 percent of our franchise network,” says Chad Hallock, CEO and Co-Founder of Home Franchise Concepts.

“We truly believe that our Veteran franchisees are some of the most talented, hardworking individuals out there and we couldn’t be more honored to have them in our family.”

Although the MDFE program has officially ended, Veterans interested in becoming independent business owners for one of HFC’s franchise brands will continue to receive discounts on their initial fees. A $15,000 initial fee discount will be offered to Veterans interested in purchasing a Budget Blinds franchise – the standard initial fees for the franchise are about $75,000. Veterans interested in purchasing a Tailored Living or Concrete Craft franchise will receive a $5,000 initial fee discount – the standard initial fees for these franchises are about $55,000 and $50,000, respectively.

As a separate Veterans initiative, in early 2015, HFC also launched its Troops in Transition™ program, which provides honorably discharged Veterans who have left active duty within the past two years,

or who will leave within the next two years, an opportunity to own a franchise with no initial fees. Veterans eligible to participate in the Troops in Transition program will enter into a limited, sixmonth franchise agreement to allow the Veteran to evaluate the business as a franchisee. Throughout this evaluation period the Veteran franchisee also has the opportunity to be mentored by an existing Veteran franchisee in the HFC network.

At the end of the evaluation period, and upon meeting certain eligibility criteria including sales objectives, the Veterans in the program can elect to sign on as a traditional Budget Blinds franchise owner for a 10 year period. The Troops in Transition program relieves the Veteran franchisee of the requirement to pay $75,000 in initial fees that would normally be required to become a Budget Blinds franchisee and, even better, includes financial bonuses for hitting certain sales targets.

“We worked closely with many of our existing Veteran franchisees to develop our Troops in Transition program,” says Hallock. “We are extremely thankful that these franchisees have taken the time to help educate us on what will truly make an impact in the lives of other Veterans.”

Budget Blinds would like to thank its private label manufacturing partner Springs Window Fashions for its continued support for the Troops in Transition program.

Veterans that have signed on through the MDFE program include:

Tailored Living: • Kevin & Maria Griffin – Holladay, Utah • Daniel & Shirley MacKay – Edmond & Norman, Okla.

• Denny Rupp & Kevin Melton – West Chester, Ohio • Dana & Eugene Nuesca – Serving North County, Calif.

“We truly believe that our Veteran franchisees are some of the most talented, hardworking individuals out there and we couldn’t be more honored to have them in our family.” - Chad Hallock, CEO and Co-Founder of Home Franchise Concepts

• James Bradford Akers – Little Creek, Va. • Edward & Andrea Burns – Costa Mesa, Calif.

• Mark & Julie Byassee – Southwest Rochester, N.Y. • Nicholas & Jessica Gervasi & Johnny & Lisa Cagno – Kernersville, N.C.

• Charles & DeAnn Strickland - La Vernia, Tx. • Ryan Wilde, - Raleigh, N.C.

• Joel & Bailey Thode – Hutchinson, Kans.

• Kenneth & Linda Thode – South Hutchinson, Kans.

• Eugene Alexander & Victoria Cicalo – Huntington Beach, Calif.

• Gary & Kirsten Zimmerman – Amherst, N.H

• Cedric & Clarita Cook – Fulshear, Tx.

Those interested in learning more about HFC’s Veteran support programs can visit www.homefranchiseconcepts.com.

• Maurice Coombs - Davie, Fla. • Thomas & Kelly Draeger – Red Wing, Minn.

• Michael & Allison Dunn – Killeen & Temple, Tx. • Luis & Griselle Fontanez – River City, Ga. • Bradley James Gerron – Prosper Tx. • Richard & Roya Grimes Lawrenceville, Ga. • Joe & Joanna Hebert – Grand Prairie, Tx. • William C, Bill & Jill Laird – Santa Rosa, Calif.

• Michael & Jane Larsen - Brainerd, Minn.

• Steven, Lawrence & MaeBelle Linnemeyer – Scottsdale, Ariz.

• Keith & Terry Matz – Southern Pines, N.C. • James W. & Travis Mullins – Kansas City, Kans.

• Jamie & Benilda Moralina Montell Littleton, Colo.

Budget Blinds:

• Christopher Petty – Lexington, S.C.

• Nevin & Shawnna Ball – Garland, Tx.

• Kevin Paulson – Charlotte, N.C.

• Andrew & Maria Birge - Sandusky, Ohio

• Shawn & Jody Smith – Arlington, Tx.

• David & Melinda Richardson – Council Bluffs, Iowa

About Home Franchise Concepts Home Franchise Concepts (HFC) is the parent company of Budget Blinds, Inc., Tailored Living, LLC and American Decorative Coatings, LLC d/b/a Concrete Craft™. Budget Blinds offers customers a full line of quality window coverings including shutters, shades, blinds and draperies. Tailored Living offers homeowners high quality organizational solutions for their garages, closets, pantries, family rooms, home offices and more through complimentary in-home consultations. Concrete Craft offers a variety of decorative, stained and stamped concrete options for indoor and outdoor living spaces.

Based in Orange, Calif., Home Franchise Concepts brands collectively have over 1,100 franchise territories serving nearly 7,500 cities throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico.

For more information on Home Franchise Concepts and Budget Blinds franchise opportunities, visit http:// www.veteransbusinessservices.us/ product-item/budget-blinds/

Franchising USA

Veter ans in Fr anchising

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Veter ans in Fr anchising

Jim Mingey, Founder Founder& &Managing ManagingDirector, Director,VBS’ VBS

A Veteran’s ‘Network’ is their new

When one asks what a Veteran entrepreneurs mentor’s role should be, one should consider how they have functioned in the past 50 years and how they will drive success in the future.

Mentors of course provide the expertise and knowledge we are missing: open doors and provide connections, and impart wisdom that would otherwise take years to develop. Although the one-on-one model still can provide value, mentorships aren’t linear anymore and like any successful

Franchising USA

twenty-first century business, should require a “team” to get the job done.

Mentors themselves aren’t extinct, the models under which they used to exist are.

Now, it’s easier than ever to look to our peers for guidance.

When it comes to teams, Veterans can rely on military experience quite a bit.

So would-be Veteran entrepreneurs need try to create a balanced team and create intangibles like commitment, loyalty, optimism, and adaptability. And Veterans should look for a mentor not only by what they can teach you, but by what you can teach them as well. In essence Franchisors and Franchisees need to work together to build these teams.

Just as most of us would cringe at the idea of a forced partner, there are no

perfect mentorship programs waiting for a Veteran to simply tap into. There are very few serial entrepreneurs searching anxiously for a Veteran entrepreneur to make successful. In the modern world, mentors aren’t given; they’re made and should complement each other. Veteran entrepreneurs need groups of people across industries and experience so they can leverage their expert advice from their different fields.

Quality franchise companies continually search for internal models to help franchisees leverage operational experience. A savvy Veteran doing his or her due diligence should closely research and examine the effectiveness of their efforts before going to Discovery Day. What has the Franchisor implemented so

far and what do they have planned for the future? How can the Franchisor help a Veteran build and maintain their mentor team?

And if they need mentoring help tell them to talk to Uvize!

“Mentors themselves aren’t extinct, the models under which they used to exist are. Now, it’s easier than ever to look to our peers for guidance.”

Dave Cass is the CEO and Co-founder of Uvize, a technology startup originally focused on helping military Veterans succeed in higher education. Cass and the Uvize team have been leveraging their military training and experience to build a scrappy technology company in Boulder, Colorado. Today the Uvize platform has 29,000 online participants.

The future for Uvize looks bright as they expand their mentorship platform to support entrepreneurship accelerators and corporate organizations, especially franchisors.

The idea for Uvize matured into a true startup in 2012 when Cass and Parker attended the first Patriot Boot Camp in Washington, D.C. The 3-day Patriot Boot Camp program helped the pair hone their startup vision and solidify their co-founder relationship. After Patriot Boot Camp, Cass and Parker were accepted into the Techstars Rising Stars program - a yearlong mentorship pairing that extends technology startup opportunities to demographic groups that are underrepresented in the technology startup community (Veterans being the underrepresented population in this case).

During their time in Rising Stars, Cass and Parker further refined and developed their idea for Uvize.

Technology has been advancing at an extraordinary rate over our lifetime, so when it comes to technical knowledge, mentors have so much to gain from their mentee’s awareness of all things current and relevant. This ongoing technological change created a workplace of diverse talents and skills, where the most experienced person in the room was a master of their craft. Using the Uvize platform, Franchisees can easily discover and engage with the experts and learners

UVIZE Veteran Mentoring Team

who are aligned with both franchisor and franchisee goals and objectives.

Transcending geographic boundaries can foster meaningful collaboration and unlock the potential talent of franchisees. https://www.uvize.com/ VBS’ Founder and Managing Director, Jim Mingey, is a decorated Vietnam veteran raised from a proud military background. An entrepreneur for more than 35 years, Jim can relate on a personal level to the needs of the veteran small businessperson, and possesses the practical knowledge to implement his experience in today’s market. Jim participated in the EBV Program at Purdue University, is a mentor at American Corporate Partners, developed the first approved franchise training program for the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) Program at Veterans Administration, and was instrumental

in forming the first equity fund in the United States exclusively for veteran owned small businesses and franchises: The Veterans Opportunity Fund. Jim intends to keep on ‘advocating’ for veterans in franchising.

For more information: E: jmingey@VeteransBusinessServices.us P: 202.349.0860 W: www.VeteransBusinessServices.us

James Mingey

Franchising USA

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Veter ans in Fr anchising

i9 Spor ts

Youth Sports Franchise Continues National Expansion with New Locations in Florida, California and Texas

i9 Sports Kicks Off

Second Quarter with Four New Franchise Agreements i9 Sports, the nation’s first and fastest-growing youth sports league franchise, announced today it has kicked off the second quarter with four new franchise agreements to open new programs and expand the brand’s presence in Florida, Texas and California.

Coupled with the company’s growth in the first quarter, this announcement reflects the success of i9 Sports’ strengthened expansion strategy and positions the brand for continued franchise development throughout 2015.

“We are excited to welcome all of our new franchise partners to the i9 Sports family, each who share our passion for providing a quality and fulfilling youth sports experience for their communities.”

- Frank Fiume, founder & chief executive officer, i9 Sports

Franchising USA

“As i9 Sports kicked off 2015, our team was focused on elevating the brand’s expansion strategy and positioning the company for rapid growth throughout the year,” said Frank Fiume, founder and chief executive officer of i9 Sports. “We are excited to welcome all of our new franchise partners to the i9 Sports family, each who share our passion for providing a quality and fulfilling youth sports experience for their communities.

As we move into the second half of the year, we look forward to maintaining this momentum and propelling our brand’s presence throughout the country, allowing us to deliver exceptional programs to more and more kids nationwide.”

Leading the company’s expansion in California are new franchisees Frank Rittersdorf, who purchased an existing franchise and is now operating programs in Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks and Woodland Hills, and Kaseem Jones, who has purchased the territory in Murrieta. Prior to becoming a franchisee, Rittersdorf served as an i9 Sports coach for six years, during which he was continually impressed with the program’s commitment to instilling sportsmanship in children. Jones, who served in the United States Marine Corps for 15 years, was introduced to the brand through his children, who played soccer and flag football in a local program, before deciding to purchase his own territory. i9 Sports also welcomes Charles Perez, who will be launching his first program in Corpus Christi, Texas. A sports enthusiast, Perez has passed his passion for athletics onto his children, both of whom are involved in a variety of sports, and attributes his family’s love of staying active to one of the reasons why he was drawn to i9 Sports. As a lifelong resident of Corpus Christi, Perez is committed to providing a quality service to the youth sports arena in his community.

Also among the new franchisee partners are husband and wife team Sidney and Monique Johns, who will bring i9 Sports to Winter Garden, Fla. Recreational sports have played a role in both Sidney and Monique’s lives, each of whom participated in sporting leagues during their childhood and well into adulthood. The pair learned about i9 Sports when their children joined a local league, and as lifelong athletes, they were enthusiastic about the concept and opportunity to bring a safe youth sports experience to children in their community.

The couple plans to launch at least five

programs in their territory over the next few years. i9 Sports was founded and began franchising in 2003 on the principle that the number one reason kids play organized sports is to have fun, not to become the next draft pick. The company has since grown to 139 locations across the United States. With convenient flexible hours, no real estate or upfront inventory, i9 Sports is a low-investment, home-based franchise opportunity offering entrepreneurs a compelling business with great profit potential.

Franchising USA

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i9 Spor ts

i9 Sports plans to open dozens of new franchise locations each year over the next several years and has extensive franchise opportunities available across the country including a focus on markets in the Pacific Coast, Midwest and Northeast. The youth sports franchise is seeking qualified candidates with a desire to impact their local community. While sports experience is not required, the ideal candidate should have an entrepreneurial spirit and a passion to build a successful business with a community focus. For more information about franchising with i9 Sports please visit www.i9sportsfranchise.com.

“i9 Sports plans to open dozens of new franchise locations each year over the next several years and has extensive franchise opportunities available across the country.” leagues, camps, and clinics for boys and girls ages 3-14 in today’s most popular team sports such as flag football, soccer, basketball and baseball.

Entrepreneur Magazine, i9 Sports has been ranked in their prestigious Franchise 500® issue the past eight years.

About i9 Sports®

A privately held company, i9 Sports was founded in 2003 by CEO Frank Fiume on the principle that the number one reason kids play organized sports is to have fun, not to become the next draft pick.

i9 Sports has also been listed among INC Magazine’s 5000 Fastest Growing Companies for the past five years and received Franchise Business Review’s Top 50 in Franchise Satisfaction Award for five years.

Based in the Tampa Bay, Florida area, i9 Sports® is the first and fastest-growing youth sports league franchise company in the United States. With more than 1,000,000 registrations in communities from New York to Hawaii, i9 Sports offers

Reinventing the youth sports industry, customers enjoy the i9 Sports Experience which emphasizes fun, safety and convenience as well as teaching the value of good sportsmanship. Named #1 Children’s Fitness Franchise by

To learn more about the low investment, low overhead i9 Sports franchise opportunity, visit www.i9sportsfranchise.com.

Franchising USA

For more information on i9 Sports, visit www.i9sports.com.

ex per t advice

Eliot Burdett, Co-Founder & CEO,Peak Sales Recruiting

6 TACTICS TO OVERCOME COUNTER OFFERS WHEN SALES RECRUITING

CEO of Peak Sales Recruiting Eliot Burdett Explains How to Mitigate Risk

When recruiting elite sales talent, nothing can be more debilitating than making a poor offer of employment.

Eliot Burdett

Franchising USA

sought after and almost always gainfully employed. No employer wants to lose people like this without a fight, so when they learn that one of their best employees is intending to resign, there is likely to be a strong effort to prevent them from leaving.

Once time, money and hearts are invested in a particular candidate, losing them to a counter offer can be devastating.

That is why it is critical for those in charge of hiring and recruiting to know how to mitigate the risks associated with counter offers.

Great employees are hard to find, highly

After decades of handling counter

“The best defense against counter offers is to be known as a great place to build a career.” also a great career and life opportunity.

In many cases, these factors have no price tag and can be very difficult for other employers to match.

2

Role Play a Trial Resignation:

During advanced stages of the process, have a discussion about the likelihood that they will receive a counter offer and ask how they plan to respond.

Conduct a role playing exercise where you present a counter offer and discuss their response. This could help identify any obstacles that may stand in the way of hiring this person or uncover that they are not truly emotionally ready to leave their current employer.

3

Low Balling is a Huge Mistake:

Often, sales recruiters will offer less than a candidate is currently making, believing that they will want to negotiate or are enthralled with the growth opportunities or ancillary benefits. When dealing with the best in the industry this is a huge mistake. Proven rainmakers will want to be courted and a low ball offer will insult them and drive them to the nearest competitor or right back to their current employer. If the candidate is the right person for the job, make a great first offer and get them on board.

offers, Eliot Burdett, CEO of Peak Sales Recruiting, a leading B2B sales recruiting company, has developed the following 6 tactics proven to overcome them:

1

Be an Employer of Choice:

The best defense against counter offers is to be known as a great place to build a career. Any employer can offer more compensation, but a company that is known as an employer of choice can offer not only a great financial opportunity, but

4

Find Out Why They Want to Leave:

When someone interviews for a new job, they are likely not getting what they need in their current role. It is crucial to find out what this is and cater the job offer to meet their needs. While an employer may be able to match the money, presumably they are unable to meet all the candidates’ requirements for one political reason or another. This makes it imperative to fully understand the candidate’s real career objectives.

5

Out Counter the Counter:

If a candidate expects a counter offer, be upfront and ask for the chance to speak following the offer. This will provide the chance to make an even sweeter offer.

While an employer generally wants to avoid a bidding war for talent, there is no escaping the reality that by targeting the best talent in the industry, a bidding war has already begun.

6

De-risk

Anyone that leaves an employment position to join another company is assuming risk. This is particularly true with high achieving people who have an unblemished track record of success.

In many cases, even if a great career opportunity arises, they may be inclined to stay with their current employer. The best way to overcome this is to map out a detailed out pathway to even greater career success, but one that also includes contingencies for unexpected pitfalls.

Eliot Burdett is the Co-Founder and CEO of Peak Sales Recruiting, a leading B2B sales recruiting company launched in 2006.

Under his direction, the company leads the industry with a success rate 50% higher than the industry average, working with a wide-range of clients including boutique, mid-size and world-class companies including P&G, Gartner, Deloitte, Merck, Western Union and others.

Prior to Peak, Eliot spent more than 20 years building and leading companies by recruiting and managing high performance sales teams. He co-founded Ventrada Systems (mobile applications) and GlobalX (e-commerce software) and served as Vice President of Sales for PointShot Wireless.

Eliot received his Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce from Carleton University and has been honored as a Top 40 Under 40 Award winner. He co-authored Sales Recruiting 2.0, How to Find Top Performing Sales People, Fast. www.peaksalesrecruiting.com

Franchising USA

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ex per t advice

George Knauf, Senior Franchise Business Advisor, FranChoice

The Expectation Myth

First a quick story, then the secret few people know how to tell you and why it will be absolutely key if you are reading this magazine with any intention whatsoever to go into business.

I will start with one of my battles, the one with my weight. A few years back I lost a lot of weight, a lot, and was right on top of what I considered to be my perfect weight.

I was lifting big weights and was regularly

Franchising USA

“The key is focusing on your outcome and finding the reason you have to move heaven and earth to get there, not the simple wish for things to be better...� running 2-3 miles for the first time since college. I expected continued success with my healthy pursuits.

But failure was right around the corner, and I did not even see it coming! I was blindsided, but slowly and in such a way that I felt okay failing and giving back that result.

Here was my mistake: I did not find a reason that the outcome was more important than the pursuit. In the pursuit I was a success as far as I had gotten, then I failed‌ Bad. Completely

unwound that entire success story and the potential evaporated right in front of me.

Have you ever gotten just far enough to feel like you did something towards a goal, but not far enough to really sustain a great outcome?

On the good side I am doing it again, but with the right focus, plan and support.

And, I learned something. Much like computer techs writing new code to fix errors in programs, I need to reprogram the code in my head to make the outcome permanent and then pursue even greater goals.

“Your Expectation of success is only as good as your core need to get there and your commitment to achieving it. After that, everything else is just the process.”

So, I tell you all of that to tell you this: Two thirds of the people that come to us for help in finding their perfect franchise get part way down the path then their old programming takes over and they find comfort in not pursuing their greater goals.

I never fully understood it until I started dissecting my weight battle and figuring out what was keeping me from owning an outcome I would be happy with and discovered the exact same problem.

When it comes to business I am an athlete. When I don’t move forward with a business it tends to be because of lack of opportunity rather than abundance of risk. I have no fear of starting a business and I love owning that outcome. More importantly, I will teach any one that will put up with my stories and anecdotes how to become a business athlete themselves.

That is the easy part for me. I love Mondays and don’t consider what I do to be work.

Over the past 12+ years we have seen thousands of professionals approach the idea of becoming a business owner the same way that I approach my weight.

They want things to be better when they work to support their family. They want control. They want independence.

But those are the cocktail party answers, the ones they are pre-programmed to tell their friends and family.

I sat down with a Marine recruiter, years after I passed on his very convincing pitch to accept a college offer. Someday I may write a book, or two, on all I learned from him about sales.

He is one of my more interesting conversations with that wise Marine Sargent:

“When people tell you what they want they are lying, albeit unintentionally. They are not giving you reasons they will move heaven and earth to achieve a goal that some may tell them is impossible, they are giving you the easiest answer you will accept and in doing so they likely ensure they will never hit their goal.”

He had my attention.

“What they need to do, what I help them do, is to find meaning… their meaning.”

He went on to say.

“At the core of everything is that result or contribution where you will find happiness or fulfillment, even if those around you don’t understand or criticize you. How you get there is just a process and processes tend to be pretty logical.

Processes tend to be based on knowledge, effort and practice.”

At this point I am leaning forward in my chair.

George Knauf

the ways to fail. Finding the reason you will put ego aside and bring your spouse into the investigation where they may find out you don’t have all the answers but are willing to seek them out. The reason that it won’t matter what other people think of the path that you take as long as you are happy with it.

Keep in mind that there is a reason you began looking at franchises. Do your homework, find the good ones and understand what makes them tick. Push the cocktail party answers aside and find the real reasons that you must complete your franchise investigation and (if an opportunity fits) that you will find a way to overcome the fear of taking that leap towards your outcome.

“The result of success is one thing for everyone: Your personal happiness with where you have landed, wherever that may be. Any reason for not getting there is an excuse and I don’t do excuses.”

So here it is, the secret: Your Expectation of success is only as good as your core need to get there and your commitment to achieving it. After that, everything else is just the process.

And from that I built into my consultation process a line of questions where we could work with a candidate to build the roadmap to their outcome and a reason it will matter, the place where they could find happiness.

Mr. Knauf is a highly sought after trusted advisor to many companies; Public, Independent and Franchised of all sizes and in many markets. His 20 plus years of experience in both startup and mature business operations makes him uniquely qualified to advise individuals that have dreamed of going into business for themselves in order to gain more control, independence, time flexibility and to be able to earn in proportion to their real contribution.

Our process is a logical process. The key is focusing on your outcome and finding the reason you have to move heaven and earth to get there, not the simple wish for things to be better but the thing that will get you through a business investigation focused on all the ways current business owners find success instead of finding all

For more information: www.georgeknauf.com

Franchising USA

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FranchisingFeature spo children’s rts & fitnesss

au g june ust 2 0 1 5

Launch Trampoline park aims to launch franchise nationwide

Rising a Cut

above the competition

creating

a culture

of Open Communications Franchising USA

Every week nearly 100,000 Every week nearly 100,000 children in 29 countries have children in 29 countries have Serious Fun through enrichment Serious Funatthrough enrichment programs The Little Gym. programs at The Little Gym. All of that Serious Fun adds up to a All of that Serious Fun adds up to a serious business opportunity in a serious business opportunity in a growing, rewarding industry. growing, rewarding industry.

ON MORE THAN JUST THE MATS. ON MORE THAN JUST THE MATS. WE OFFER: WE OFFER: A A comprehensive comprehensive support and training training support and system based on on system based over 35 years of over 35 years of experience experience

A proven provenapproach approach A to skill growth to skill growth throughproprietary proprietary through curriculumand andmusic music curriculum

Innovativetechnology technology Innovative and tools to helpyou you and tools to help manageand andmarket market manage yourgym gymefficiently efficiently your

rewarding business AArewarding business enriching the lives enriching the lives ofof children your children inin your community community

To learn how how The The Little Little Gym GymInternational, International,Inc. Inc.can canprovide provide To learn you with the the tools tools to to create createaasuccessful successfulbusiness, business,visit: visit: you with

www.thelittlegymfranchise.com orcall: call:1.888.228.2878 1.888.228.2878 www.thelittlegymfranchise.com or Franchising USA

Our Special Supplement in Franchising which Features a different industry each month has become a regular of Franchising USA. To share your specific expert industry advice or to feature your franchise in the next issue, please contact Vikki Bradbury, Publisher Phone: 778 426 2446 Email: vikki@cgbpublishing.com

Contents On the Cover 66 Launch Trampoline Park 82 Rising a Cut Above the Competition:

How Kid-Focused Companies are Proving Their Value

by Kimberly Ellis, Snip-its

76

88 Creating a Culture of Open Communications is Key to Widespread Success

by Roberto Ortega, CEO & Co-founder, KLA Schools

Expert Advice 72 Edutainment: Engineering a New Path for Students Learning STEM

by Amir Asor, e2 Young Engineers 76 Best in Class: 3-3-3 Teacher Incentive Offers Unique Franchise Opportunity

by Sharon Peterson, Best in Class Education Center

82

92 Is Child Care the Next Big Franchise Industry

by Kyle Gjersee, COO, Top Level Mangement

Profiles 84 Discovery Point 90 Huntington Learning Center

Focus

86

74 The Little Gym 78 Apex Fun Run 86 Kid to Kid

Franchising USA

childr en’s fr anchising

what’s new!

Snip-its Adds New “Funny Frizz Fix’r” to Proprietary Product Line buy by the case,” said Snip-its Kim Ellis,

Vice President of Franchise Development.

The product line has also been an

extension of Snip-its brand awareness.

“When customers take our products home with them, they take our brand home

with them. It’s a reminder of the positive experience their child had at our salon.

Frizzy hair is no laughing matter, but it sure is profitable. Snip-its, the nation’s fastest growing kids hair salon in the U.S., announced the addition of the new “Funny Frizz Fix’r” smoothie cream to its popular product line.

The product line of shampoos, conditioners and gels has proven to be a valuable supplementary source of in-store sales, and since it’s only sold at Snip-its franchise locations, customer traffic has increased as well.

Parents and their children will see it on shelves in October, but it’s the Snip-its franchisees that will reap the benefits.

“We’re finding that parents are coming in to buy more products before their child is due for a haircut. In some occasions, they

And with quality products, kids can

achieve the fresh salon look at home,” said Ellis.

Snip-its is the only franchise that offers a

proprietary product line in the growing $5 billion child hair care industry.

For more information about franchise opportunities, please visit www.snipitsfranchise.com.

COLLEGE NANNIES AND TUTORS AWARDS ‘ROOKIE OF THE YEAR’ TO SAN ANTONIO FRANCHISEE College Nannies and Tutors recently awarded its San Antonio, Texas franchisee as Rookie of the Year. The award was presented to the franchisee’s owners, Steve and Lynn Johnson, during College Nannies and Tutors’ 2015 National Conference, held in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The Johnson’s professional backgrounds— both in the military and corporate worlds—play a part in their success. Both Steve and Lynn served in the United States Army before spending 20 years in corporate America.

Steve spent his years as the Vice President/ General Manager in the printing industry, and most recently worked his way up to the Chief Operating Officer for a financial services company, while Lynn spent her years in real estate. When the time was right, they decided to build something for themselves.

Franchising USA

Excited about the concept of College Nannies and Tutors, they decided to dive in. They now own two territories in the San Antonio market.

With the success of their first Learning Center in Stone Oak, they will be opening a second in Northwest San Antonio. “We are working hard to build the business into

something that will carry itself forward,” says Steve. “It is gratifying to see our growth in the first year.”

College Nannies + Tutors is committed to building stronger families. For more information, visit: www.collegenanniesandtutors.com/ franchise

Little Sunshine’s Playhouse Provides a Unique and Innovative “Once Upon a Time” Educational Experience Little Sunshine’s Playhouse maintains an identity and brand image of unrivaled distinction in preschool and educational childcare, providing preschool beyond daycare and excellence in early childhood education.

Their philosophy differs from the average preschool because of its focus on building self-esteem through the arts and sports, limited enrollment and an upscale environment that incorporates luxurious wood and fabric finishes in non-traditional color tones. Their facilities serve as a castle for a “once upon a time” experience that enables each child to learn through play, develop their imagination and grow socially.

The master planned and accredited curriculum at Little Sunshine’s Playhouse, Creatively Shine™, is based off the newest research and trends to prepare young children to enter their educational career equipped with cognitive, social, emotional, physical and language skills. Some of the

most innovative services include their password-secured Kiddie Cams™ that allow live remote viewing capability for parents, their LuvNotes™ system, which is an electronic communication system that allows teachers to send secured, individualized reports, photos and videos of each child to their parents throughout

the day, a Red Carpet™ morning drop-off service and secured entry.

These unique characteristics and distinctive services differentiate Little Sunshine’s Playhouse the premier preschool/childcare concept. www.littlesunshine.com

Huntington Learning Center is the revenue leader in a “recession proof” industry While much of the rest of the economy contracted in 2008, the tutoring and test prep industry grew every year based on Anything Research’s 2015 report—as of 2014, it is a $4.3B industry.

According to the New York Times, the industry seems “immune to recession.” Huntington Learning Center is the leader in this strong industry—their average franchise owner earns 61% more revenue than the closest competitor. They average $495,000 a year, you can get started for under $100,000 and no previous education experience is required. Eileen and Ray Huntington, the co-founders who helped pioneer the industry and still own and manage their company, attribute the industry’s consistent growth to the fact that parents will always prioritize their children’s education.

Huntington’s industry leadership stems from a student-focused approach—by delivering great student results, the financial

success follows. Huntington students achieve a full school year equivalent of math and reading growth in just 3 months of tutoring. On the test prep side, their students see an average of 192 point gains on the SAT or 4.2 points on the ACT in just two and a half months of tutoring—these are the sort of gains that change the whole tier of school a student can go to, and can also yield scholarship dollars. To deliver these student and financial results, Huntington offers their franchisees world class support.

As a recent franchise owner said, “As a business, if you follow the Huntington system and put in the time, your center will be highly profitable.” www.huntingtonfranchise.com

Franchising USA

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what’s new!

Mother and Daughter Team are Dynamic Duo! Eleven years ago, Fumiko and Doug MacPherson purchased a Kid to Kid resale franchise in Summerlin, Nevada.

They felt it was a perfect business for Fumiko to run while raising their two small children.

“As soon as I found out about Kid to Kid, I was hooked,” said Fumiko. “I love the idea of recycling and getting paid for items kids outgrow. I’m so happy to be helping people save and earn money.”

Their daughter Naomi basically grew up in the store watching her Mom grow the business. Last fall, they both attended a new owner training class at the franchise office to learn the latest and greatest systems. Now Naomi is the store manager, working full time with her mother.

“The franchise offers a ton of training and support to Kid to Kid owners and staff,” said Naomi. “The franchise truly cares about their franchisees and provides them with the tools they need for their business to grow.”

When their lease came up earlier this year,

the MacPhersons seized the opportunity to relocate and expand, resulting in

exponential growth. In the first month at the new location, sales increased by 85

percent, making their dream come true.

For more information, visit: http://kidtokid.com/franchising/whyown-a-kid-to-kid/

Pigtails & Crewcuts Announces 10 New Openings Across Country Pigtails & Crewcuts, an Atlanta, Georgia-based salon franchise where kids come first, has 10 new salon openings on the docket, bringing its total salons across the country up to more than 50.

The kid-centric business, which opened in 2004, lets kids be kids while getting a great haircut. Even the smallest customers can select a plane, fire engine or car-shaped chair, play with trains and video games and watch the latest movies as their hair is trimmed by kid-approved stylists. Pigtails & Crewcuts salons also offer beauty services, such as ear piercing and spa treatments, and each business has its own party room and retail section.

Franchising USA

This year, new salons have opened—or will open—in Virginia (three locations), Colorado, Texas (two locations), Tennessee, Florida, New York and Arkansas.

Wade Brannon, president of Pigtails & Crewcuts, says now is a great time to get into this kids’ business. “Pigtails & Crewcuts offers parents and children an inviting, stress-free, fun experience.

As our brand expands, more and more salon owners are discovering that that kind of treatment is, and always will be, in high demand.”

To learn more about the Pigtails & Crewcuts visit www.pigtailsandcrewcutsfranchise.com.

THE LITTLE GYM PARTNERS WITH LEGO SYSTEMS AND KINDERMUSICK INTERNATIONAL TO ENHANCE PROGRAM OFFERINGS The Little Gym International, the premier enrichment and physical development center for kids, enhances program offerings through strategic and exclusive partnerships with LEGO Systems, Inc. and Kindermusik International, Inc. These partnerships offer children unique, integrated opportunities to build upon the physical activities practiced in the gym and provide franchisees with promotional drivers to help grow their local business.

Through the multi-year partnership with LEGO Systems, Inc., the North American division of the world’s leading construction toy brand, The Little Gym is the official childhood development center home to LEGO-based activities. Similarly, the partnership with Kindermusik, the world’s leading provider of music and movement classes for young children, establishes The Little Gym as the only gym-based franchise offering stand-alone Kindermusik classes to its members in the United States and select locations in Canada.

are evident and reflect each company’s commitment to whole child development. “We seek out strategic partnerships that complement our world-renowned curriculum,” said Ruk Adams, CEO, The Little Gym International. “These partnerships provide a unique opportunity to make a positive impact on local communities, helping children develop and helping our franchise owners grow their businesses.”

In each of the partnerships, shared passion and common values

www.TheLittleGymFranchise.com

Discovery Point Child Development Centers® expects to triple in size over next five years To answer the growing demand for educational childcare nationwide, Discovery Point Child Development Centers® is launching a national expansion campaign designed to open as many as 100 new locations over the next five years.

The growth will be accomplished by franchising, initially targeting Texas and North Carolina with new markets to be added.

“As the economy continues to grow and more parents are going back to work, the need for quality childcare will increase,” said Cliff Clark, President and CEO of Discovery Point Child Development Centers.

With almost 50 locations throughout the Southeast, Discovery Point Child Development Centers® provides safe,

educational and nurturing environments for growing children. Discovery Point embraces a three A’s approach – Attention, Affection and Approval – and partners with Teaching Strategies in using the nationally recognized early childhood education program, Creative Curriculum System® for Preschool. Since opening its first location in an Atlanta suburb in 1988, Discovery Point has been a leader in childhood enrichment and care, expanding

beyond its Georgia roots into Florida, North Carolina and Tennessee with plans under way to reach new markets nationwide.

More information about Discovery Point and Discovery Point franchise opportunities is available by calling (800) 418-3990 or visiting discoverypointfranchise.com or discoverypoint.com.

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C over S tor y - L aunch T r amp o line

Launch Trampoline Park

aims to launch franchise nationwide Wet and Wild Inspiration Launch got its own launch after Arnold and his wife Erin went on Vacation in Florida in 2011. Fortunately (as it would turn out) for them, it was a rather rainy holiday.

“Instead of going to Disney World and putting our raincoats on, my wife jumped online and found a trampoline park in the area,” Arnold recalled.

With five franchisees already in operation throughout New England, one in Delaware and another 15 franchisees signed and waiting to come on board, Launch Trampoline Park already has a significant jump on its goal of taking the brand nationwide.

Describing it as the coolest indoor family entertainment facilities, CEO Rob Arnold said the trampoline parks range from 18,000 square feet up to 42,000 square feet

Franchising USA

with over 50 percent of that space being covered by trampolines positioned on the floors and angled up the walls.

In addition to offering high-flying jumping fun, Launch also has trampoline dodge ball and trampoline basketball available to play, giving an added boost to those two traditional games.

Various other attractions that range from location to location include 20 foot tall stunt towers to jump off, landing on giant stunt man air bags; giant foam pits for jumping into and a full redemption arcade and full-service cafe.

The first park opened in November 2012, Arnold said during a recent interview from the company’s headquarters in Warwick, Rhode Island, and the company started franchising in April 2013.

The family went to the trampoline park and within five minutes he and Erin knew they should try to open one back home.

With Erin being a gymnast in high school and Arnold having competed on roller blades semi-professionally in high school on half-pipes and street courses, the idea of jumping and twisting was right up their alley, the CEO said.

After their trip, they came back to Rhode Island and within two weeks started looking for a location for the first Launch Trampoline Park.

The Arnolds brought in a third partner; none other than former New England Patriots player Ty Law Law was getting ready to purchase several food franchises at the time, Arnold said, when he introduced the idea of the trampoline park to Law. Within a couple of days the former National Football League player asked if they could partner up on the trampoline park idea.

“We’re getting kids off the couch and making them active, getting them sweaty and getting their heart rate up. We’re introducing fitness into their lives, but disguising it as fun.” - CEO Rob Arnold

Fitness with Fun The need for Launch Trampoline Parks goes beyond just giving families a new form of entertainment to replace the same old thing that people are growing tired of, the CEO said.

“We’re getting kids off the couch and making them active,” he explained. “We’re getting them sweaty and getting their heart rate up. We’re introducing fitness into their lives, but disguising it as fun.”

It’s obvious that kids love jumping, as they are constantly getting into trouble for jumping on the bed at home, he noted, plus parents also love jumping on the trampolines, which makes it fun for everybody.

Ideal Franchisees The team at Launch Trampoline is looking for people who have marketing, finance and management backgrounds who have been successful in the past, Arnold noted.

The franchise is getting a lot of interest from corporate executives and investment groups that are looking to purchase multiple units.

To bring their new franchisees on board, Launch performs an initial call with them and has the potential franchisees fill out a ‘let’s get acquainted’ form. From there, the hopeful franchisees speak with Launch’s franchise sales department, which takes them through a business overview of the

franchise system and then they have a CEO call with Arnold.

After that call, they set up a discovery day while Launch drafts a letter of intent for the franchisees’ new territory and they follow up the letter of intent with the franchise agreement.

Once new franchisees are on board, the training and support begins. That support includes a broker network that is set up to help with the site selection process, a project manager that works alongside the franchisee to complete the countdown to launch, which is a 20-week process to make sure the new location is ready to open. Launch also helps franchisees with the layout of their parks.

“We have an engineer on staff that will design the parks, design the equipment and optimize customer flow throughout the space,” Arnold said.

The company has a VP of sales and marketing and a director of marketing that franchisees can get assistance from, plus business support managers that are designated to support specific franchisees throughout their entire relationship with Launch, meaning franchisees always have a dedicated support staff member there to assist them.

Launch tries to get its franchises into retail environments because it wants to be in visible locations that parents know are safe.

Launch’s full service cafe and full redemption arcade also make it different than the competition, which often only offers trampolines, Arnold said.

And, helping with marketing and keeping children entertained at birthday parties is Launch’s seven foot tall green kangaroo mascot named Joey.

With 15 more franchises set to open within the next 10 months up and down the east coast, territories on that side of the country are selling out quickly. However, there are still plenty of locations across the entire country, including some that don’t have any trampoline parks nearby, making them especially lucrative.

Apart from spreading Launch across the United States, the CEO said, the company also has plans to sign some international deals within the next couple of years.

The Launch Difference

With the company growing at such a quick pace — tripling in size this year — and also looking to add employees at the corporate level in marketing and operations, it’s an ideal time for franchisees to jump on board with Launch Trampoline Parks.

Unlike other trampoline parks that tend to hide themselves away in industrial parks,

http://launchtrampolinepark.com/ opportunities

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Featu re

b y G i n a G i l l Fr a n c h i s i n g U S A

Children’s franchising

e r u t a Fe

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Nowadays children have a lot more choice. Every product has a million features and every brand carries a plethora of toys in a number of shades.

The current generation of kids is used to the wide variety and it creates a huge competition amongst businesses to be the next best thing. Though we can’t all produce the next Anna and Elsa, or better yet, the Tickle me Elmo, anyone can be a part of that competitive, ever evolving industry through franchising.

Kids are used to choices, and parents want to provide their kids with the best that they can. There is a high population of people under the age of five and the buying power of their parents is large: the average household income in developed countries is $50,000.

Not only that, but the closer involvement of grandparents help double the buying power of parents. The baby boomers are one of the first generations to retire off a double salary and they want to share the wealth with their growing families.

Though products, including toys, baby supplies, arts and crafts to name a few, is a huge market, services provided to kids is another considerable field as well.

“One thing is for certain, if you are passionate about kids, a franchise in this market is profitable, selffulfilling and always in demand.”

With both parents working, there is not only a need for daycare, but people have more money to spend on activities, camps, lessons and again, toys.

Toys The size of the global toy market is estimated to be at 84 billion U.S. dollars in 2012, of which 20 billion U.S. dollars are attributable to the U.S. market, so it’s nothing to shake a Ferbie at.

There are entire stores dedicated to the sale of toy products that prove to be profitable industries on their own. Well known toy franchises usually come with great marketing, an established household name and carry well known branded toys that every kid wants and needs as soon as possible.

Not all parents are willing to indulge in their children’s everyday whims, but between Christmas, birthdays parties, rewards, allowances and so much more,

the toy store is becoming a weekly visit on most family’s schedules.

The toy industry is an ever growing market. Kids will keep coming and adults will continue to produce, creating a constant set of purchasers. Kids have always been associated with toys from Hop Scotch and Jacks to Barbie and Legos.

With the increase in technology, toy departments have grown in the last decade to include game consoles, videos, Blue Rays and Ipods. Kids are learning to adapt to technology and it’s an everyday characteristic of their free play. For the most part, technology has created high ticketed items that help drive sales.

Baby Products The U.S birthrate has been on a steady decline for some time now. In the States, the birthrate decreased to 13 per 1,000 of the population compared to 16.7 in 1990 in 2010.

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Featu re

b y G i n a G i l l Fr a n c h i s i n g U S A

Tutoring programs are well known in the franchising industry. Parents obviously want their children to succeed and support them throughout their struggles and tutoring offers educators who specialize in specific fields.

People can now access specific study sessions, pinpoint their issues and create solutions, either in a group environment, one on one or even online.

After school programs offer homework assistance as well as academic activities that give parents more incentive to send their children for care with learning opportunities.

Even though there are less teeny tiny consumers, the baby market is on a rapid increase. The global market is expected to increase its sales to 66.8 billion U.S dollars by 2017, compared to 44.7 billion in 2011.

With constant research into baby safety and children’s health, more and more products are being produced to help service all the many needs newborns have today.

The family dynamic has changed and this has created a lot of different needs that have created new products including pumps for working moms, entertainment for busy parents, safety seats, swings and chairs. Baby needs are increasing with a better understanding of safety standards, plus parents always want the best for their new bundle of joy.

The internet has given parents easier access to the variety of products and services available to them. Surfing the

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web has given the busy mom or dad more buying power- once they recognize their baby’s needs, they can easily order with the click of a button all while cradling baby in their arms.

People are also choosing to start their families later in life, which means they have stabilized a comfortable income and have more freedom to buy.

The baby market is a guaranteed franchise opportunity- with children always being born and research leading to better and new products, it’s a market that continues to increase in value consistently.

Education Education is not only provided within the doors of a school, but it is a continuous effort throughout the day. Children have homework, they need support and with a broader and better understanding of learning disabilities, more kids can seeks professionals that can help them reach their potential.

Day Care With both family members working full time and mothers returning to work after a short lived maternity leave, more children are requiring day care services. In fact, nearly 11 million children under the age of 5 are in some type of childcare service in the States.

With more families struggling after the recession, some parents had to pull their children from organized childcare and reach out to other venues because of the expense. That being said, if parents had the financial backing and ability they would choose an organized facility for their child. Though it took a hit during the recession, center-based daycares account for 26% of childcare arrangements, while their mother works, which is the highest percent in that category in 2012.

Meanwhile, 67 % of mothers with children under the age of six are working parents who need child care.

A lot of day care facilities provide other services, including after school programs increasing profit substantially.

Parents are usually having their kids close together; guaranteeing two clients at the same time from one family and the day care market is always a necessity with a continuous demand.

A childcare franchise offers children a guaranteed set of regulations and expectations that would be consistent with the brand. This branding gives franchises a stronger reputation compared to its competition and has an already developed marketing strategy. Parents are likely to leave their children in the hands of a wellestablished facility because the research and reviews have proven to be positive and reliable.

A lot of day care facilities provide other services, including after school programs increasing profit substantially. In 2012, the average annual fees for before- afterschool care for a school-age child in a center was between $1,950 and $10,950.

One of the main benefits of franchises focused on children is the consideration of the franchisee’s work-life balance. It would be important to enjoy working

with children and have a perspective about the family dynamic, as well as an understanding of the values parents hold for their children. One thing is for certain, if you are passionate about kids, a franchise in this market is profitable, selffulfilling and always in demand.

About the author: After receiving an English Degree, followed by a Journalism Diploma, Gina became a freelance journalist in 2008.

She has worked as a reporter and in communications, focusing on social media. She currently works as a community information officer with Epilepsy Society, while pursuing her writing career at the same time.

Look out for our next special feature:

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Amir Asor, Founder & CEO, e2 Young Engineers

Edutainment

Engineering a New Path for Students Learning STEM

Worldwide, seldom do many students jump with joy when it comes to Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics - also known as STEM. In the United States in particular, many students are ranking lower than those in other countries, due to the lack of engagement in STEM education across schools and other organizations. With the United States ranked 48th in the world for the quality of the country’s education, and the demand for jobs in the fields of STEM expected to grow 26 percent between 2010 and 2020, there’s no doubt that future careers in the United States will require highly skilled applicants in the respective fields.

STEM reform progress has been gradual, but awareness of the universal need to engage more students and make it a greater opportunity has increased. America is

“The purpose of the system is to help enhance and speed up the STEM educational process – in America and across the globe.”

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“The essence behind the edutainment method is based on theoretical studies, research and statistical tests.” working to fill that gap, and a system of learning that is different from much of what is taught in schools today, is what is lacking. Seeking to fill that void, Israel based company, e2 Young Engineers, a franchise that delivers edutainment (education + entertainment) programs using theoretical knowledge and practical STEM implementation, is looking to grow and expand in the U.S. market. The purpose of the system is to help enhance and speed up the STEM educational process – in America and across the globe. e2 Young Engineers has experienced international success in 17 countries and five continents worldwide, and represents more than 20,000 students who participate in the company’s unique curriculum.

It is the company’s mission to provide a process of learning that has not been aggressively integrated into any school system before. The goal is to ensure children across the world are provided the opportunity and resources necessary to build the skills they need to excel and grow in their futures. STEM is one of the undeniable ways students will possess an edge over others and offer something less common, which is why it is so important to provide access for them to learn now. Youth today struggles to find the happy medium where they can enjoy and grow from their studies, because of psychological barriers deterring them from mathematics and science.

Growing up, Amir Asor, founder and CEO of e2 Young Engineers, often struggled with learning disabilities and realized that education should be delivered in a fun way, not the frequent and routine way so many students are left with no choice but to endure. Upon his realization, at the age of 23, Asor decided to set forth and develop a learning program that would change the

process of learning for students, in the categories of STEM. While volunteering as a paramedic in emergency rooms, he witnessed firsthand the various treatment procedures implemented with multiple patients. The hospital staff provided individual care and personal attention to the needs of every single patient, within the larger group of patients. That single experience sparked the creation of the edutainment method utilized in the e2 Young Engineers curriculum, where every child is afforded individual attention in a larger learning environment.

Through successful initial classes and before the end of 2009, e2 Young Engineers programs were conducted in over 90 educational centers throughout Israel. In 2012, the company began franchising, expanding the number of hands necessary to bridge the gap between what children are learning in school and the obstacles and demands they will face in the future work force.

The edutainment method has been well received in the United States. The essence behind the edutainment method is based on theoretical studies, research and statistical tests. Children joining the company’s educational community can happily learn the likes of arithmetic, physics, and mechanical and software engineering using LEGO® and K’nex® assembly kits, as well as tablets to enhance the children’s experience and combination of technology with hands on skills. Children are able to see the model they build in 360 degrees, zoom in, and are provided 3-D instructions that help illustrate the step-by-step process.

To accomplish the result the curriculum is intended for, the program implements a “Do Not Force It” method, which seeks

to create an atmosphere where a child will declare: “I want to take an active part in the learning process!” It takes four stages for a child to experience the latter result. The first is bond: children are automatically connected and drawn to games, so if the activity is interesting, they will like it. The second is feel: the child always feels the need to improve his/ her skills since they aspire to achieve the game’s goal. The third is understand: the child gains a conceptual understanding to be successful in the game. The fourth is empower: children who like an activity and are interested in it will be motivated to achieve expertise in relevant skills and succeed.

Results of participants who took part in the company’s program showed that 88 percent of students attending e2 Young Engineers programs achieve grades in math ranging from 85-100 percent. The results solidify the clear connection between the curriculum and the student’s success in school, as well as the development of an arc of skills.

Establishing its footprint in the United States, e2 Young Engineers is gearing towards an expansion that will mimic the success it has experienced in other countries and an increased number of youth that will look forward to growing their knowledge of STEM to better prepare them for the future ahead.

Amir Asor is the founder and CEO of e2 Young Engineers. Asor has spearheaded STEM education in Israel with social action for children and their advancement. In 2011, he was awarded the title ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ by Youth Business International (YBI), a global competition for young entrepreneurs, establish by HRH the Prince of Wales – Prince Charles, who serves as the institute’s president.

For more information, visit www.youngeng.net

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T he L it tle Gy m

Franchise cultivates

culture of caring for kids The thing that sets The Little Gym franchise apart from its competition is the brand’s culture, which is aimed at bettering the lives of the children it serves.

While the franchise has over 300 locations spread across 30 countries, the culture inside those locations is consistent regardless of what part of the world a franchise is in, President and CEO Ruk Adams said during a recent interview from the company’s headquarters in Scottsdale, AZ. “It’s an interesting culture that surrounds our business,” Adams said. “It crosses not only from small towns to big cities, but it crosses from country to country. It doesn’t matter if we’re sitting in a class in Hong Kong or a class in New York City or one in Tulsa, Oklahoma or in Kuwait or Dubai

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or points in between, the kids all act the same. The way the lesson plan is designed is very universal in terms of reaction to the stimulus.”

The Little Gym offers classes for kids from the ages of four months to 12 years that incorporates its “Three-Dimensional Learning” approach of “Get Moving” for flexibility and coordination, “Brain Boost” for listening and decision making, and “Citizen Kid” for teamwork and leadership. The classes include sports skills, developmental gymnastics or simply an introduction to movement. It also has parent-child programs for kids under three where children come with a parent or caregiver and take the class together.

Each class is designed with a specific curriculum to build off the classes that come before it, just like how it would work in a school. The classes, which were all developed by early childhood development experts, are broken into short four-week learning units and over the course of a season or school year children will come for 40 classes. These classes last from 45

minutes to one hour and kids are grouped together with other children in their age range.

In the Beginning The Little Gym International has been in operation since 1992. The original concept was started in 1976 in Bellevue, WA by Robin Wes who is still with the company today, playing an instrumental role in creating the company’s proprietary music and holding the title of Founder and Keeper of the Culture.

Wes was a kinesiologist and an elementary education professional who was also involved in music and gymnastics. He grew up in South Africa and travelled throughout Europe and the United States in the late 60s and early 70s, ending up in Seattle where he developed The Little Gym concept.

“He wanted to create an environment where kids could come and learn physical activities, but in a non-competitive environment,” Adams said.

“By focusing on its company culture, The Little Gym has created not only the ultimate learning environment for children and parents, but a culture of success for its franchisees.”

From his days competing in gymnastics, Wes was quite familiar with competitive environments and he believed kids needed a place to grow up without the pressure of competition. So, he created The Little Gym’s movement based program to teach kids basic life skills in a group environment that espoused the philosophy that kids need not be the best, as long as they try their best.

After 16 years of running The Little Gym, Wes met the founder of Sylvan Learning, W. Berry Fowler, and the two of them started franchising the concept of The Little Gym.

Ideal Franchisee Adams said an ideal The Little Gym franchisee would have to be driven by a desire to create a better life for kids, as it’s not a hands-off business. They should have some background in customer service management, sales and marketing.

“The thing that is most common is that they have a desire to own a business that is engaged in their community that will make a difference in kids’ lives,” Adams said.

Within the United States, the company has just over 200 locations in nearly 40 states in cities as big as New York to as small as Fayetteville, NC. Although The Little Gym has a presence in all the major metropolitan markets in the US, there are still locations available basically everywhere, including New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland and throughout Nevada. Plus, all of Canada is open for new franchisees.

A Safe Place The need for a place like The Little Gym has never been greater, Adams noted.

When he was young, the CEO recalled, his mom used to kick him out of the house if

the sun was shining to go play with friends and wouldn’t expect to see him back until dinner. Today, though, parents perceive the world as being a less safe place than it was in previous decades.

The Little Gym gives parents the ability to provide a safe environment where kids can engage in physical activities with others in an organized fashion that teaches them valuable skills that they may not get from their everyday unstructured play.

“We help prepare kids to participate in other things that they’re going to go do,” Adams said.

Apart from structured curriculums and a broader age range than their competition, The Little Gym has been able to develop exclusive partnerships with Kindermusik, which offers early childhood music education; LEGO, which the brand uses to help develop kids’ cognitive thinking and fine motor skills; and Nickelodeon, which provides The Little Gym with recognizable characters for children to identify with as they celebrate birthdays.

Training and Support The Little Gym works with franchisees to determine the best business structure

for their location and helps them with their insurance. The company has real estate services to find the right space and negotiate a lease and partnerships with architectural firms to get the build out done as efficiently as possible. Plus it also offers owners access to a dedicated Business Consultant and full marketing support.

The brand has a four-step training process that takes seven to eight weeks to complete. The training covers business operations, hiring and curriculum training.

In addition to that, the company provides training for franchisees’ employees both on-site and online.

Plus, The Little Gym helps owners who want to purchase multiple locations by making sure their managers are savvy enough to run the locations themselves.

“We have special training for their general manager so they can focus on building their business in more locations,” Adams said.

By focusing on its company culture, The Little Gym has created not only the ultimate learning environment for children and parents, but a culture of success for its franchisees.

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Sharon Peterson, Director of Franchise Sales, Best in Class Education Center

Best in Class 3-3-3 Teacher Incentive Offers Unique Franchise Opportunity for Educators

Seeing teachers shortchanged on their annual income is nothing new, with the average annual teacher’s salary hovering around $43,000.

Sharon Peterson

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Many educators seek to increase their income with side jobs such as after-school tutoring; other educators, such as those in the Best in Class Education Center franchise system, take it a step further by controlling their destiny through business ownership.

To give teachers an opportunity to exceed their predetermined income potential, Best in Class introduced the 3-3-3 Teacher Incentive last year. The incentive discounts $3,000 off the franchise fee for the first three centers the teacher opens and waives the franchise royalty fee for the first three months of the center’s opening.

The healthy incentive not only makes the brand more accessible, but it also offers a unique opportunity for educators to jump start their business by making additional funds available for costs such as hiring, local marketing and supplies.

“Best in Class has grown as a successful franchise because of our commitment to

opening a business in a completely different industry,” Arora said. “However, after realizing a need for an education brand that focuses on critical thinking, I decided to move forward with Best in Class. The incentive, the curriculum and the corporate team were all contributing factors to that final decision.”

“Best in Class is a family of passionate franchisees, and we continue to seek dedicated individuals to be part of a brand that is fulfilling and continues to make a positive impact in communities,” Sharon Peterson, Director of Franchise Sales at Best in Class, said. “Through our strong incentives, which also include a Veteran Incentive, we look forward to helping more entrepreneurs realize their business ownership dreams.”

“Best in Class is a family of passionate franchisees, and we continue to seek dedicated individuals… we look forward to helping more entrepreneurs realize their business ownership dreams.” - Sharon Peterson, Director of Franchise Sales at Best in Class

investing in our programs, our qualified instructors, and our franchisees,” Hao Lam, CEO and Chairman of Best in Class said. “We hope to continue to attract entrepreneurs who are passionate about education, and who better to fill those shoes than existing teachers?”

curriculum and methods but the incentive certainly helped me make the final decision to join the brand as a franchisee,” Chen said. “By opening a Best in Class center in my community, I am able to fulfil my goal of positively impacting the lives of more students. With four children of my own, as well as my background in teaching, I understand the importance of providing students with the individualized support that Best in Class emphasizes.”

Ruchika Arora is another franchisee who was attracted to Best in Class’s resources and benefitted from the Teacher Incentive.

With 14 years of education under her belt, Arora began considering the idea of opening her own business after searching for a tutoring center for her daughter.

Based in Seattle, Best in Class ensures that it can “give the gift of a lifetime” through educational enrichment and is dedicated to providing superior supplemental education to guarantee students’ individual success.

The brand’s thoughtful methods, highquality instructors and customizable approach have garnered great attention and traction in the educational market.

Best in Class’s unique approach begins with Lam’s passion for teaching and his steadfast commitment to programs of the highest quality that produce results. With a strong emphasis placed on well-designed curriculum and materials, students engage in critical thinking and gain skills that are vital for future professional and developmental achievement.

With more than 30 centers across the United States, Best in Class is currently focusing on growth in key development markets including Southern California, Texas, Maryland, Washington D.C. and Virginia.

The first to benefit was Kelly Chen in San Francisco, who holds a degree in Child Development and an Associate Teacher Permit in the state of California.

Unable to find a local education center that met her standards, Arora came across Best in Class. After studying the center’s materials and teaching methods offered by the brand, she decided to become the first franchisee to open a center in New Jersey.

Sharon Peterson is the Director of Franchise Sales for Best in Class Education Center. Prior to joining the supplemental educational franchise, Peterson worked in franchise sales for a small frozen yogurt concept, where she helped develop the infrastructure and lead the growth of the system from 60 to 340 locations.

“I was interested in Best in Class for its

“Initially, I was actually looking into

http://bestinclassfranchise.com/

Having just launched the Teacher Incentive in October 2014, the brand will have at least four franchisees utilizing the offer by the end of this year.

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A p ex Fun Ru n

Apex Fun Run

Increases Funding for Schools Using Unique Fund-Raising Model “It’s a win-win for schools,” said Apex Fun Run Vice President of Franchise Development, Jeremy Barnhart. “We handle the heavy lifting, worry about all the details and the schools are the ones who get the money they so desperately need.”

Here’s a quick look at what Apex Fun is all about:

What: • APEX Fun Run is a 2-week hasslefree fundraiser promoting fitness and leadership for elementary schools. A team of athletes will be on your campus for the full length of the program to teach students valuable leadership lessons, raise pledges, and serve the teachers.

As federal, state and local governments continue to slash school funding budgets and overworked parents and administrators struggle to raise important funds that help with the most basic of needs inside the classroom.

Arizona based franchise, Apex Fun Run has increased funding for schools across the United States over 100% year over year using their unique school fund-raising model.

This mobile franchise model is on pace to raise over 6 million dollars for schools

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across 16 states for the 2014/2015 fiscal year.

With over 56 franchisees in 16 states this company is reshaping the school fundraiser model. Gone are the days of hawking cookie dough and wrapping paper—Apex Fun Run earns on average $23,000 per school per Fun Run event held.

The concept is simple, Apex Fun Run franchisees collaborate with school PTO/As and faculty, and produce a meaningful and “hassle-free” school fun run that is financially successful and builds leadership and fitness values in the students who participate.

Between a pep rally, teacher competitions and awareness building over two weeks, the momentum will culminate with the Fun Run on the last day of Apex’s time at each school. Kids run laps on a special course set up by Apex and friends, parents and family donate per lap.

• This is the major school fundraiser for the semester. No nickel and diming parents! And teachers will get a percentage of the money raised for their own classroom! Students will be raising pledges for each lap they run at the APEX Fun Run.

Who is APEX: • The program is run by athletes who are all very passionate about building leaders, and are all deeply connected to teachers and principals in education.

Why: • This program is set up to promote fitness and leadership traits to students.

APEX has transformed the traditional idea of a product sale into a fun, fitnesscentered event that students and teachers enjoy.

• The program is set up to raise more money for the teachers and the school

than any other product sale could. In fact, 10% of the funds raised by each class go directly back to the teacher’s budget for supplies, food, field trips…

Program Components: • Teacher Meeting: before the program, we will meet and go over details of 2-week program, review FAQ and hand out posters, etc. Teachers become coaches and teachers, together with their students, pick a class name. During teacher meeting, coaches also decide on class awards for varying pledge levels.

All teachers receive their Fun Run jersey.

• Pep Rally: Our team, backed up by booming sound system, dancing, music and exceedingly high energy, will introduce the program, and prizes, to students. Teachers will receive lanyards/pledge kits that we have for each student.

• Set Goals: Coaches decide on goals for their classrooms with pledges (usually 3x the amount of students as the dollars per lap raised) and email parents to let them know that teachers will be getting

“It’s a win-win for schools. We handle the heavy lifting, worry about all the details and the schools are the ones who get the money they so desperately need.” - Jeremy Barnhart, Apex Fun Run Vice President of Franchise Development

money directly for this fundraiser, and they need the parents’ help to reach the goal and how their child’s teacher will spend the money raised.

• Team Days: For the 6 days after the Pep Rally, the APEX team will come into class for 5-8 minutes/day to give the lesson and reward students. This is a time for coaches to sit back and enjoy, and keep the students going on their pledges to earn class prizes.

• Fun Run: The culmination of the nine prior days peaks at the actual APEX Run! Parents and teachers come and enjoy the run with the students (45 minutes) and encourage them with

noise makers, cheering sections, and at water station. At the end of each group of two grades (one grade runs on one course; two grades run simultaneously on adjacent courses), we hand out clipboards to teachers to count their students’ laps. APEX team records all laps for every student in computer system to generate pledge letters.

• Follow Up: APEX will give an envelope to all students to collect funds the day after the race. Follow up, computergenerated letters and emails will be provided to PTO and teachers to ensure all of the money pledged is collected. http://apexfunrun.com/Home/Franchise

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Kimberly Ellis, Vice President of Franchise Development, Snip-its

t u C a g n i Ris

t i t e p m o C above the How kid-focused companies are proving their value in an evolving industry In recent years, the U.S. hair care segment has grown to a staggering $40 billion in annual revenue, proving its ability to untangle postrecessionary knots that continue to plague many industries.

With children getting their haircut more frequently than adults, specialized segments of the industry, such as child hair care, are rising a cut above the rest. In fact, families with school-aged children spend nearly 38 percent more on hair services than households with no children.

Furthermore, according to a 2014 Beauty Salon Market Research Report,

“By providing a friendly and knowledgeable staff, animated gadgets, computer games and a character filled entertaining environment, child hair care franchises are able to create an enjoyable haircutting experience for children..�

Franchising USA

t

the operation. However, child hair care franchises like Snip-its not only offer lower investment costs but also provide an easy and enjoyable business model with comprehensive new salon support. The beauty of a child hair care franchise is that it’s not a difficult concept to understand.

As long as a franchisee has the ability to create brand awareness in new markets that already have very little competition, success will come naturally.

tion revenue growth in the hair care industry is expected to improve over the next five years, rising at an average annual rate of 3.2 percent. With an increase in consumer’s disposable income, parents are now spending more on specialty hair care services for their kids. Therefore, the growing industry profits are encouraging new businesses to enter the field like never before.

It’s no surprise that this specialized segment of hair care is leading the industry pack as a traditional haircut can be a terribly traumatic experience for a child. Many children emerge from the salon cranky, crying or just plain upset about their haircuts. With the professional assistance of a child hair care specialist, haircuts are able to turn into a positive, fun-filled experience for both the parent and child, ultimately leaving with both a great haircut and a smile on their face.

It’s all about the Kids While thought leaders in the U.S. are focusing on the baby boomers becoming seniors and creating business opportunities to assist their growing demands, many are neglecting to recognize the flourishing population of children within our society.

There are 40 million kids under the age of 10, therefore, if this population gets their haircut six times a year on average, there are 320 million haircuts taking place, ultimately drawing in five billion dollars of revenue. With only four major companies serving this specific niche,

the opportunities are endless due to the capabilities to thrive in a recessionresistant industry.

The first and largest child hair care brand capitalizing on this flourishing segment that caters to young consumers is Snip-its, an innovative child-focused salon and entertainment concept that is turning a traditionally mundane and often unpleasant experience into a fun-filled, animated adventure. With the corporate staff possessing over 160 years of combined industry experience, Snip-its has revolutionized the children’s hair care industry.

By providing a friendly and knowledgeable staff, animated gadgets, computer games and a character filled entertaining environment, child hair care franchises are able to create an enjoyable haircutting experience for children. Furthermore, franchises like Snip-its serve as a solution for parents who are looking for a way to untangle the challenges of trying to find a convenient haircutting experience for their kids.

The Right Person for the Industry When considering the different types of businesses related to children’s services, the first item to consider is the investment rate. For other kid-focused segments, like a fun house business, the initial buy in rate is vast due to the requirement of purchasing the products necessary to run

As part of the decision to purchase a child hair care franchise, it’s crucial to ensure that the revenue stream is not solely dependent on haircuts. At Snip-its, there are five different revenue channels that include haircuts at the core but extend to parties, specialty workshops, spa services, and retail. Therefore, franchisees have the ability to not only depend on one factor of the business, ultimately creating more flexibility and security.

The child hair care franchise concept is a perfect match for the business person who wants to remain semi-absent. In fact, Snipits prefers its franchisees to be out of the salon implementing marketing, facilitating social media engagement and driving the top line while maximizing the bottom line. The child hair care industry serves a great way to earn a successful living in a feel-good business. Ultimately, franchisees gain a sense of community connection, pride of ownership and the ability to exit corporate American and spend their day working with laughing children in a welcoming environment.

Kimberly Ellis is Vice President of Franchise Development for Snipits. Most recently, Ellis was a senior consultant with MSA Worldwide and provided existing and emerging franchisors expansion and system assessment, sales program development and management, and recruitment marketing strategy. With over 20 years of experience in franchising, Ellis also held executive positions in sales, marketing, and operations for both franchised and non-franchised hair care companies.

For more information about franchise opportunities, please visit www.snipitsfranchise.com.

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Discover y Point Child Develop ment Center s ®

Discover

The Discovery Point Difference

Premier Educational Childcare Franchise Offers Unique, Turnkey Opportunity In A Rapidly Expanding Industry.

As the song goes, the children are our future. And that is certainly true if you are looking for a franchise opportunity in a growth industry.

In the U.S. alone, the childcare industry is estimated to be a $48 billion business and growing. Experts predict that as the economy continues to expand and more parents return to work, the demand for quality educational childcare will expand dramatically as well.

And at the forefront of answering that demand is Discovery Point Child Development Centers®. The Georgiabased franchisor has launched a national expansion campaign and is looking for franchisees who want to make a difference in their community to open as many as 100 new locations over the next five years.

“There is no doubt that the need for high quality childcare is increasing,” said Cliff

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Clark, President and CEO of Discovery Point Child Development Centers. “But today’s educated parents are looking for more than just daycare; they are looking for programs that will help their child develop.”

Discovery Point Child Development Centers use the nationally recognized early childhood education program Creative Curriculum System® for Preschool. That distinctive approach – coupled with the company’s one-of-a-kind, turnkey franchise model — sets Discovery Point Child Development Centers apart in the childcare industry.

Once a franchise agreement is signed, the Discovery Point real estate team carefully selects optimum sites for its franchises, purchases the property, and builds the childcare center from the ground up, handling all aspects of construction. All equipment is provided and installed by the franchise company, literally creating a turnkey opportunity for the franchisee to open the doors to a new state-of-the-art facility.

“This process allows the franchisee to focus on training and learning the business rather than being distracted by trying

to find real estate and getting the center constructed and opened, which is where we have extensive expertise,” Clark said.

These unique points of difference are what set Discovery Point apart from other childcare franchise systems and are a big reason that Discovery Point has been ranked in Entrepreneur Magazine’s their “Top 500” and “Red Hot Franchise” lists.

More information about Discovery Point and Discovery Point franchise opportunities is available by calling (800) 418-3990 or visiting discoverypointfranchise.com or discoverypoint.com.

DISCOVER

THE DIFFERENCE

Here is your chance to be a part the $48 billion and growing childcare

• Fixed royalty rates

industry. Our unique turnkey

• Turnkey support from signing to opening

program allows you to get into business quickly and easily, without many of the hassles that typically come with opening a franchise.

Immediate franchise opportunities available in high profile markets.

• More than two decades of proven success • State-of-the-art educational curriculum • Affordable initial investment compared to other Child Care franchises

800-418-3990 discoverypointfranchise.com Copyright © 2015 Discovery Point Child Development Centers. This does not constitute an offer to sell a franchise. The offer of a franchise can only be made through the delivery of a Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD). Certain states require that we register the FDD in those states. This communication is not directed by us to residents of any of those states. Moreover, we will not offer or sell franchises in those states until we have registered the franchise (or obtained an applicable exemption from registration) and delivered the FDD to the prospective franchisee in compliance with applicable law.

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K id to K id

Franchisees Trust Instincts

Find Success with Kid to Kid Buying a business isn’t something most people do on a gut feeling, but a pair of Aurora-area franchisees did just that and turned their love of resale shopping into a thriving business.

Miriam and Todd Frick own three resale clothing franchises including two Kid to Kid franchises and an Uptown Cheapskate franchise. At Kid to Kid, parents buy and sell gently used children’s things at discounted prices, while creating strong profit margins for the franchise owner. At Uptown Cheapskate, teens and adults can find name brand clothing, including the hottest brands, at a fraction of retail prices.

The Fricks began their entrepreneurial journey almost eight years ago by purchasing an existing Kid to Kid franchise that had been operating for more than 17 years. They expanded by opening a second Kid to Kid location five years later, and this year diversified into the Uptown Cheapskate brand by purchasing a third store to serve the growing number of teens, college students, and adults looking for bargains.

Trusting an Instinct The Frick’s foray into the children’s clothing business came about because they needed a change in their lives. Like many people across the United States, they felt the squeeze of the recession back in 2008.

Todd had been a youth pastor who had left to try to earn a better living for his family in sales. Miriam, meanwhile, was a hairdresser by trade.

But with nobody making purchases of what Todd was selling – things like cars,

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real estate, and windows – and nobody doing any hiring at the time, things were looking bleak for the couple and their four children.

The Fricks struggled financially as Todd tried to make his way in a new career at the worst possible time. “I kind of felt like we needed to go into business for ourselves and work together,” Miriam said during a recent phone call from the family’s home in Aurora. With no real business experience, the Fricks were drawn to franchising.

She started researching various franchise opportunities, none of which included retail, when fate intervened. One day, while shopping at her local Kid to Kid store, a store employee slipped a flyer into her bag.

“The flyer said ‘Our store needs a new mommy.’ “So that’s how I found out the store was for sale,” she recalled.

Miriam had been a long-time customer of Kid to Kid and loved being able to buy good-as-new clothing for her kids at big discounts. “It made a lot of sense to sell the clothes the kids had grown out of and buy new things another kid had worn a few times,” Miriam said.

Because she already loved the concept of the store, Miriam brought the flyer home to discuss with Todd. “Saving money was very important to us, so it made sense that it would be important to other people too,” Todd said.

“It just felt right in our gut to buy this business,” said Miriam. That instinct proved to be a life-changing one for the Frick family.

A Growing System of Support Before making an offer to buy the store, the Fricks consulted with BaseCamp Franchising, parent company of Kid to Kid

and Uptown Cheapskate. After speaking with the BaseCamp team and talking to existing franchise owners, the Fricks were convinced they had stumbled onto a unique opportunity. “Everyone we talked to raved about the support provided by the franchisor and the camaraderie among the other franchisees. I knew going in that we would get the training and support we needed to make it a success,” said Todd.

After completing the purchase of their first Kid to Kid store in 2008, the Fricks went through two weeks of intensive New Owner Training to learn the systems and processes of running a Kid to Kid. They were trained on all aspects of management, including front-end and back-end operations.

A few months ago, the Fricks attended New Owner Training for the second time – this time for their Uptown Cheapskate franchise.

“We learned everything we’d need to know, and I couldn’t believe how organized everything was,” said Miriam, “The training courses now, as compared to eight years ago, have evolved and improved so much.”

As first-time entrepreneurs, the Fricks felt grateful to have so much training and support at their fingertips. “It would be very difficult to figure this business out on our own,” Miriam admitted, “It’s so reassuring to have a franchise office that provides best practices and helps us to continually improve.”

“From the beginning, the Basecamp team was just a phone call away. We had a lot of questions, especially in our first year, and they were always happy to help us.

Being able to pick up the phone and call other franchise owners, people who are going through the exact same thing you are, and who are happy to assist you, was also extremely helpful,” Miriam said. “We

“We have a great network of communication with the other owners and we’re like a giant family. This is a franchise that is really driven by the owners.”

- Miriam Frick

have a great network of communication with the other owners and we’re like a giant family.” The Fricks agreed: “This is a franchise that is really driven by the owners.”

Managing the Managers Franchising has helped the Fricks leave their financial struggles behind, but it took a lot of hard work to get there. We put in some long hours the first year, but they were fun hours and we were together,” said Miriam.

“There were new challenges almost every day, but I liked what I was doing a lot more than working for someone else,” said Todd.

Miriam credits the franchise systems, like the Management Tools and the Basecamp Training Portal, with making training great staff members easier and more consistent. With the Training Portal, for example, she is able to teach a new hire the fundamentals of the computers, store layout, and job expectations through interactive videos and quizzes – a benefit she attributes to saving her and her store managers significant amounts of precious time.

Like most retail businesses, the Fricks have busy seasons where they put a lot of time in their stores. Other times of the year, they are able to pull back, work from

home, or even take time off and let their managers run the day-to-day operations of the stores. With four children at home, ranging from a first grader to a recent high school graduate, the Fricks have had to work to find a balance between owning multiple successful businesses and a busy family life.

“We love having the flexibility to go to the kids’ games and events,” Miriam offered, and Todd agreed. “I would never go back to working for someone else, that’s for sure.”

A balanced family life is a big part of the reason the Fricks have been diligent about developing good managers and staff. Having multiple stores means they can’t be involved too heavily in the daily operations of the stores, Miriam said. She likens herself and Todd to conductors, where they manage the store managers who manage the staff. “We follow the Kid to Kid system, hire good people and teach them how to use the franchise tools,” Miriam said. “In turn our managers do a great job of providing structure, management and support for our team members in all three stores. This has made our lives much easier and has allowed us to expand our business and income, while continuing to make our family the top priority.”

Recession Proof Growth Above all else, the Fricks are happy to be in an industry they term ‘recession proof.’

“Now that the economy is rebounding, our business continues to succeed,” said Miriam. “I’m not going to lie to you—when the economy tanked, we were really scared. But we found that children will always be growing and always be in need of new clothing.” The trend toward cutting down on waste has helped propel store sales and the Fricks believe they have just broken the surface of the growth and profit that is ahead for their business. “We haven’t even reached near the potential of what our stores are capable of,” Miriam said.

When asked about their secrets of success, the Fricks are quick to give credit to their ‘fantastic franchise family’. “If you follow the system and ask for help, the support staff at Basecamp is tremendous and has been absolutely vital to our success,” said Miriam.

Miriam and Todd often think about what could have been, “We just feel so lucky to have stumbled onto this opportunity and to have had this once-in-a-lifetime chance to build a successful business and change the future of our family so much.” www.kidtokid.com/franchising

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Roberto Ortega, CEO & Co-founder, KLA Schools

Creating a

Culture of Open Communications is Key to Widespread Success

In order to be an effective franchisor with a successful franchise system, one has to make strategic moves that push the brand forward and keep a growing system thriving.

What’s more, how these moves are communicated internally to the franchise system is crucial. From the top down, it is critical to maintain an open flow of communication where the team feels

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comfortable sharing new ideas and best practices. Establishing a culture of openness will ultimately benefit operations and franchisee satisfaction and prepare the franchise for continued growth.

Being the CEO and co-founder of KLA Schools, it is my responsibility to establish a culture of communication while taking the entire system into account. No matter the size of the franchise it is essential that everyone understands the company’s main goals and initiatives and how it is looking to achieve them. It is up to the franchisor to find the best way to communicate that message so that everyone involved knows what the company stands for and what the system is working toward.

Establish a Culture of Open Communication Early and Keep it Thriving Communication among the KLA Schools franchise system evolved quickly due to national expansion and a shift in focus.

Initially operating only in Florida, faceto-face interaction helped our young brand and group of franchisees aim in on our overall goal to expand into other states. Once we achieved this, the need for effective communication stayed constant while our operational methods changed.

Franchisees are there to enhance the brand and should have a platform for their voice to be heard. Whether it is a

“Franchisees are there to enhance the brand and should have a platform for their voice to be heard.

Whether it is a problem or creative feedback, the doors of communication need to remain open from start to finish.” problem or creative feedback, the doors of communication need to remain open from start to finish. For instance, when it comes time to fine tune some items that impact the brand as a whole – such as the website or information brochures – invite your franchisees to the discussion table.

Franchisees offer a perspective that comes from first-hand experience.

Another strategy that is helpful in creating a “win-win” relationship between franchisee and franchisor is creating a Franchise Advisory Council made up of select franchisees system wide. As the system grows, franchisees are selected by their peers to serve as their representative.

KLA Schools is small enough that I am able to stay in communication with our franchises individually, but as the brand grows, establishing an advisory council will ensure that the relationship stays robust.

Support One Another for Widespread Success When an entrepreneur considers a franchise opportunity, it’s important to prospective franchisees that they are investing in a brand that strives for collateral success and franchisee satisfaction. Access to the founder, executives or senior management and support should be easy and communication should be constant.

Franchisees should not be handed a box of instructions and told to build without the proper tools and resources. Rather, on a regular basis, franchisees should have communication with the corporate team

to discuss best practices, new initiatives, etc. When franchisors and the franchisees work closely together as a team, it will ultimately lead to increased satisfaction among the system that can be passed onto prospective investors. Franchisors often forget that communication can flow outside of the company. Whether that message flowing out is positive or negative can have larger implications for widespread success.

Communication Should Permeate All Aspects of Franchise Many franchises pride themselves on having strong lines of communication but oftentimes that line of communication is a one-way street. This is often truer for larger franchise systems where a disconnected executive team has likely mastered effective modes of transferring information throughout their system. Yet, any discussion that originates from the franchisee toward the franchisor often gets lost in the shuffle or must pass through multiple channels, where the message can be misinterpreted. My franchisees have my cell phone number, and they know that communication won’t be lost in transmission.

Communication within the company doesn’t always have to be work-related.

Franchisees may feel more open to express their thoughts when the personal connection is established. Therefore, encouraging personal interactions may prove more fruitful than guided discussions. I try to convey my true

Roberto Ortega

interest in the lives of the people as a part of my daily interactions.

Show Support and Guidance Surrounding Franchisees A traditional approach to franchising isn’t the only approach and can even be a disadvantage when attracting the next generation of franchisees. There are different ways of running a promising franchise that doesn’t include churning out worksheets and strict guidelines and then expecting every franchisee to fall in line or fail. It is important for franchisees to see and experience the support and guidance they have surrounding them.

A prosperous franchisor calculates every move and seeks to minimize risks while strengthening rewards for everyone who has invested in their brand. With this in mind, showing franchisees that their voice matters will go a long way. It is also vital for them to see that there are multiple people on the corporate team who are rooting for their success and that resources are available at their discretion. When the system succeeds, the brand thrives and that success will be passed on to all.

Roberto Ortega is the CEO and cofounder of KLA Schools, a Reggioinspired early childhood education franchise. http://klaschoolsfranchise.com

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H unting ton Lea r ning C enter

Huntington

wants to help you help students Founded in 1977, Huntington Learning Center has been helping prepare students reach their academic goals for nearly four decades.

Through its tutoring and test preparation services, Huntington has helped tens of thousands of students improve their grades and pass difficult tests with consistently outstanding marks. The brand’s dedication to giving students an academic leg up has earned the company a deserved reputation for quality tutoring along with high praise from parents, educators and the students that it helps.

At Huntington, franchisees benefit from the business’ reputation for excellence and don’t need any prior education experience, in fact most come from prior careers in the

Franchising USA

corporate world. They are recognized in the communities they serve as a premier tutoring solution and are able to achieve impressive financial success—the average Huntington franchise earns $495K a year, 61% more than the closest competitor.

Also, while few franchisors offer in-house financing, Huntington does so and you can get started for under $100K.

Growth Industry The tutoring and test preparation industry has been called “immune to recession” by the New York Times. In 2014, the total market was $4.3B. Indeed, it has grown every year through the Great Recession of 2008—parents prioritize their children’s education. With the population of school age children expected to continue to grow through 2050, the long term prospects for tutoring are strong. Additionally, there is a continued need. For example, the United States lags on international achievement measures—our students rank 26th in math,

21st in science and 17th in reading on the PISA tests. Similarly, only 43% of SAT takers in 2014 meet the College Board’s College and Career readiness benchmark.

Against this backdrop of industry growth and need, Huntington franchisees have continued to help their communities and have grown by 32% from 2008 to 2014.

Making a Difference Huntington allows franchisees the opportunity to help students in their community build the skills, confidence, and motivation needed for success not only in school, but for the rest of their lives. This makes becoming a Huntington franchisee personally rewarding in addition to being financially rewarding.

Huntington’s programs combine technology with traditional educational methods developed and proven over nearly four decades. Using their proprietary methods, Huntington shapes young minds

and prepares them for the academic and career achievements they strive for.

With You All the Way Pre-opening support from Huntington’s in-house operations team, which works closely with franchisees, helps them set up their tutoring and test preparation center.

Huntington provides initial and ongoing training for franchisees and their staff, both in-person and online.

Every franchisee is assigned a dedicated franchise business consultant to help ensure their success. Huntington franchisees receive in-person visits, frequent phone conferences, and local, regional, and national training.

Franchisees also reap the benefits of Huntington’s national call center, manned by a team of educational specialists dedicated to handling all phone inquiries with the goal of scheduling initial appointments with students and driving business into franchisees’ centers.

“Every franchisee is assigned a dedicated franchise business consultant to help ensure their success. Huntington franchisees receive inperson visits, frequent phone conferences, and local, regional, and national training.”

Meanwhile, Huntington’s conference coaches prepare the brand’s franchisees for their initial conferences with parents to increase the rate of student enrollment.

Using Technology Huntington’s proprietary Center management and reporting systems assist franchisees in managing the day-to-day operations of their Centers and in delivering tutoring excellence.

For example, Huntington’s proprietary “Navigator” is a next generation instructional system that delivers personalized learning, high impact teacher management, streamlined reporting and instantaneous reporting. It yields better student results while increasing profitability through both revenue gains and cost savings. Franchisees are able to

manage their Centers using a dashboard that presents all of the Center’s vital statistics, making it easier and more efficient for franchisees.

Lastly, Huntington’s marketing team provides franchise owners with customized marketing strategies for their local markets as well as a full suite of tools and high impact materials. With their deep industry expertise, they know the “who, what, where, when, why and how” of advertising for tutoring that will most effectively and efficiently drive leads to your location.

With so many positives, there’s never been a better time to get into the business of helping students realize their academic dreams. http://www.huntingtonfranchise.com/

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Kyle Gjersee, COO, Top Level Management

Is Child Care the Next Big Franchise Industry?

For young, working families the choice between cities as opposed to suburbs has become an increasingly clear one.

According to employment data reported by the Census Bureau, employment in city centers has been on the rise. People want jobs that are a quick commute from their homes, something city life is known for.

As a result, a growing number of young families are taking root in city centers.

While this growth will overall lead to healthier cities, it can take a while for the city infrastructure to catch up.

Families like Alison Qualter Berna’s and Allison Schlanger’s have noticed this slump in development. Playtime has almost exclusively meant city parks for them. However, that’s not always a plausible solution, they realized that “there wasn’t a place to go when it rained, when it snowed and when it was 97 degrees.”

The need for these kinds of family and community spaces is apparent and steadily increasing. Peter Harnik, the Director of The Trust for Public Land’s Center for City Park Excellence agrees, “Though parks are expensive to acquire and maintain in dense cities with high property values, their residents are even more in need of open spaces in which to exercise, unwind, and socialize.” Big cities seem to be at a loss when it comes to this increasing community need for public space.

Many families have found the solution in the childcare industry, looking to afterschool programs, classes, and recreational activities. The President’s Council of Economic Advisors’ 2015

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report on the Economics of Early Childhood Investments, found high quality educational resources for children can bring as much as an $8 economic return on every $1 invested. How do we then take what we know and apply it to our burgeoning cities?

For many entrepreneurs this market need was an opportunity for them to make a difference in their communities. Alison Qualter Berna, and Allison Schlanger did just that, “the dream was to create a career that would merge our professional interests with our children’s lives, and a life where it was not only ok to bring our kids to work, but where their presence would add value to what we did on a daily basis -and so apple seeds was born.” apple seeds is a destination for young families to come play and learn in a safe and controlled environment.

The response to their core concept of safe indoor play space and educational programs for younger children was so positive it led the founders of apple seeds

to believe this concept belonged in other markets across the country. When the franchise management company, Top Level Management (TLM), was hired to assist them in this effort, it became clear that franchising would be a natural vehicle to expand their business quickly. “Their core concept is solid, their business model is easy to replicate, staff employment is viable across the country, and this concept is needed in many markets,” says Colette Bell, CEO and Founder of TLM. Currently, the growth of franchise employment is exceeding the growth of employment in all businesses, as it has for the past four years. Locally owned franchises are becoming a great way to address community needs while also implementing quality control. And, in an industry like childcare, quality of the care is of the utmost importance. Expect to see more franchises like apple seeds begin to fill this need for indoor play spaces and educational programs in urban areas.

Join the #1 Revenue Producing Tutoring Franchise Our franchisees earn 61% more revenue than the competition, no previous education experience required.

Own a Huntington franchise for under $100,000!

Choose the franchise with: � Easy Franchisor Financing Available

� Exceptional Training and Franchisee Support

� Low Investment

� Superb Technological Infrastructure

� Over 30% Average Franchise Revenue Growth, 2009 - 2014

� Over 37 Years of Experience Helping Children Succeed!

Our Students Experience Great Results!

Own a Huntington franchise and make a difference in the lives of students and families in your community.

It’s a financially rewarding business you can feel good about.

Eileen Huntington, Co-Founder, Huntington Learning Centers Inc.

CONTACT US TODAY!

1 800 653 8400

Franchise@HLCmail.com HuntingtonFranchise.com Connect with us on LinkedIn *Based upon comparison of 2013 average revenues from: Sylvan ($310K), Kumon ($285K), Mathnasium ($192K), ClubZ! ($135K).

The following were also evaluated and revenue could not be estimated: Eye Level, Grade Power, JEI, Tutoring Club and The Tutoring Center. Source: 2014 FDDs

ex per t advice

Andy Roe, General Manager, SurePayroll, Inc.

5 Ways

to Make Your Employees More Productive Without Being Punitive First of all, let’s take inventory of all the things that typically slow down the workplace: • Cell phones/texting • Gossip • Internet surfing • Social Media • Snack or smoke breaks • Noisy co-workers • Meetings • Email Andy Roe

The quest to improve productivity is neverending. As franchise owners and managers of your businesses, you’re always trying to do things a little bit faster and more efficiently.

You’ve only got so much time and budget – how do you make the most of each day, week and month?

Franchising USA

• Co-workers who stop by to talk too much • Co-workers making loud phone calls We’ve all faced these issues in one way or another. And various methods have been employed to curb the disruptions including: • Blocking certain Internet sites • Prohibiting personal calls or personal phone use • Monitoring email and Internet use • Scheduling lunch and break times • Allowing people to work from home • Limiting meetings The risk you take, though, when implementing measures that are punitive

or overly restrictive is that you can wind up with a disgruntled staff. And guess what?

Research suggests a lack of engagement with the job generates $550 billion in lost productivity for U.S. employers.

So what are some more positive ways to increase productivity for you and your franchise? Here’s some suggestions you can give employees (and use yourself) that will help them be more engaged and more productive:

1

Block off a room or space away from the main work area or office so you and your employees can focus on more complicated projects.

2

Read email at specific times. Many executive and organizational leaders have taken to only checking email during certain blocks of the day, so they’re not constantly responding to the pings coming from their computers.

3

Work 90 minutes at a time, then take a break. We’d like to believe that the longer we work, the more we get done. However, the average person can often only focus for 90 to 120 minutes before losing concentration and getting diminishing returns. Breaks don’t have to be a bad thing if they make your working time more efficient.

4

Clean up your workspace. A cluttered desk often leads to a cluttered mind.

Sometimes a clean, well-organized place to work makes people feel free to take on new tasks.

5

Set priorities, estimate timeframes and execute. One of the worst detractors from productivity is the tendency for small, less important tasks to take longer than expected and derail us from getting the big ticket items completed.

Before you tackle your to-do list, make sure it is organized by priority. Make sure you have an estimate as to how long it will take.

“One of the worst detractors from productivity is the tendency for small, less important tasks to take longer than expected and derail us from getting the big ticket items completed.”

If you find certain tasks are taking longer than expected and not producing results, it’s time to redo your list.

Andy Roe is the General Manager of SurePayroll, Inc., a Paychex Company.

SurePayroll is the trusted provider of easy online payroll services to small businesses nationwide. SurePayroll compiles data from small businesses nationwide through its Small Business Scorecard optimism survey, and exclusively reflects the trends affecting the nation’s “micro businesses” — those with 1-10 employees.

You can follow Andy on Twitter @AndrewSRoe. Learn More at: http://blog.surepayroll. com/productivity-prohibitors-how-tostop-them-in-their-tracks/ www.SurePayroll.com

Franchising USA

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T he Eco L au ndr y C ompa ny

New laundry and dry

franchi environ A laundry and dry cleaning service based in New York wants to clean up two things: the environment and the deplorable reputation that the laundry and dry cleaning industry currently has.

To help with the environmental aspect of it, The Eco Laundry Company has been certified as a B Corporation, CEO Phillipe Christodoulou, 38, said during a recent interview from the company’s shared office space in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood.

B Corporations are certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency, meaning the B Lab organization independently

“We’re very selective about the kind of people we want on board...so we’re really taking our time to find people who really understand what we’re doing.” - CEO Phillipe Christodoulou Franchising USA

y cleaning

ise puts nment first audits companies and gives them certification if they are found to be environmentally friendly and socially just.

It’s this certification (akin to Fair Trade Coffee or USDA organic certification) that marks the difference between the company and its competitors, Christodoulou said, as The Eco Laundry Company is the world’s first and only B Corporation certified laundry and dry cleaning service.

Slow and Steady Growth Plan The business launched in 2010 in Buenos Aires, Argentina and in New York City in 2012. Thus far, the full-service laundry and dry cleaning business only has the two corporate locations, but plans on opening another two corporate stores in New York soon.

It formally launched the franchising process in April 2015 and has a goal of signing up five franchisees by the end of this year and an additional 10 by the end of next year.

Currently, the company is only looking for franchisees in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, but those three states are wide open.

“We’re very selective about the kind of people we want on board,” Christodoulou said. “We’re getting requests from all over the place, but people that don’t understand

our business philosophy and who are not into learning about sustainability are not going to be able to make this fly, so we’re really taking our time to find people who really understand what we’re doing.”

While the parent company itself has B Corporation certification, franchisees will also need to individually get B Corporation certification within two years of purchasing their franchise. It’s because of this requirement that franchisees will need to embrace the sustainability business model wholeheartedly, the CEO said.

Christodoulou said the decision to only open a relatively small area to franchises to begin with comes from his own research on the best way to grow a franchise. The CEO said he spent two years travelling around the world talking with various franchise consultants and the general consensus was to start slowly and grow gradually so that the business can support all franchisees equally as it grows.

Growing too fast without the proper infrastructure in place can spell disaster for a franchise, he noted.

If the company grows slowly and builds from New York and surrounding area outwardly, Christodoulou said, The Eco Laundry Company can build the infrastructure as it grows without having to borrow money or bring in a third party

to help with expansion.

This measured and steady growth is part of a business plan to grow slowly and make sure they know what they’re doing before they go national, which the CEO foresees as happening probably in year three or four. However, it may happen sooner than that, as the company has just recently received an inquiry to start a master franchise in Ireland and has received franchise requests from 20 different countries.

“It’s getting hard to say no all the time, but growing slowly is the plan and we’re trying to stick to it,” he said.

People Want Eco Friendly The Eco Laundry Company is finding its niche because people are becoming more conscious about what they put into their bodies and onto their skin, Christodoulou said. The EPA has determined the main substance used for dry cleaning is a likely human carcinogen, which is leading people to look for healthier alternatives to traditional dry cleaning, both for themselves and for the environment.

And The Eco Laundry Company gives customers just that, using biodegradable, phosphate-free laundry soap, low-powerconsuming lighting, biodegradable plastics and buildings that have been designed and outfitted to meet Leadership

Franchising USA

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T he Eco L au ndr y C ompa ny

“Our aim is to change people’s perceptions from the inside out by offering quality service and giving our customers the attention they deserve.”

- CEO

in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certification, an environmental certification for buildings.

Every part of the business has been designed to be sustainable to meet consumers’ growing demands for sustainable businesses, a demand that is being pushed by Millenials, who want the businesses they interact with to have a positive social and environmental impact.

“These are the businesses that will survive in the next 10 years and 20 years,” Christodoulou predicted.

Cleaning Up the Industry Apart from helping to clean up the environment, Christodoulou wants The Eco Laundry Company to start cleaning up the actual laundry and dry cleaning industry, which has a deplorable reputation at the moment.

Many laundromats and dry cleaners who claim to be environmentally friendly are simply lying to customers, Christodoulou said, something he found during his own research of the industry.

This gives The Eco Laundry Company a distinct advantage over laundry and dry cleaning services that merely claim to be sustainable, as the company has its B Corporation status, meaning it’s independently audited to ensure it is as environmentally friendly as it claims.

“There’s this level of authenticity to our business model,” Christodoulou said.

On the other hand, the laundry and dry cleaning industry is infamous for having horrible service, from language barriers to businesses not caring about lost or damaged items. Christodoulou wants to change people’s perception of the industry.

“Our aim is to change people’s perceptions from the inside out by offering quality service and giving our customers the attention they deserve,” the CEO said.

Franchising USA

Teaching More than just a place to have clothing laundered, Christodoulou wants The Eco Laundry Company to also help promote environmental stewardship. To this end, The Eco Laundry Company offers customers a device they can put in their toilets that saves between one and three litres of water per flush. This offsets the water The Eco Laundry Company uses to wash their clothes while at the same time teaches customers about offsetting and sustainability and creating an ongoing dialogue about sustainability with customers.

The Eco Laundry Company will eventually be able to recycle water once it starts getting its own plants in place, but the company needs to grow as a franchise first, the CEO said.

For training and support of its franchisees, The Eco Laundry Company plans to provide all the standard on- and off-site training that any franchise would offer, meaning two weeks of training in a classroom setting and one week of on-site training in a franchise unit. It also plans to offer plenty of ongoing support to franchisees, plus mentoring through the complicated and daunting B Corporation certification process.

Although its goals are lofty, with its slow and steady plan for growth, The Eco Laundry Company is on its way to cleaning up both the environment and people’s perception of the laundry service industry. http://ecolaundrycompany.com/ franchising/

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FRANCHISING USA is part of the global network of CGB Publishing

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ex per t advice

David Banfield, President, The Interface Financial Group

Buy now or Buy later If you are thinking about buying a specific franchise, or rather seeking a franchise award - is this a good time to proceed?

Franchising USA

There are probably many different aspects that we could examine to make a determination but the fact that we are talking about a franchise, the results will probably err on the side of ‘buy now’.

What makes a franchise different from buying a new car? We could easily put such a purchase off perhaps until the

new models arrive, and we get a slightly different choice. In buying a car, whether we buy this year or wait a year, the reality is that it is still a car and the very basic features will not change to any great degree.

The same argument might easily be applied to most franchise models. They

“There are probably many different aspects that we could examine to make a determination but the fact that we are talking about a franchise, the results will probably err on the side of ‘buy now’.” are unlikely to change much from year to year. In fact the lack of significant change is often one of the ‘selling’ features of a franchise. What we have to remember about a franchise, however, is the fact that the majority of franchise models are geared to a specific territory and once that is awarded, then it is gone! If you are looking at a franchise in a specific location, then there are no guarantees it will be available at a future time. The car you are buying will certainly be available in one shape or color in the future.

Buying a car now or later may also be influenced by your finances and the economic circumstances prevailing at the time. If you can’t afford the car, then putting off the purchase is probably the only avenue open to you. Taking a major step, such as entering the world of selfemployment and entrepreneurship, is much more likely to have considerable time and planning already invested in it.

Because a franchise is usually a ‘tried and tested’ method of business ownership, it is less likely to be prone to ups and downs in the economy. Franchises are often organized so that they can weather the economic storms that come along from time to time. This situation is usually predicated on the fact that franchises are not spur-of-the-moment ventures, but longterm enterprises that represent a career path for many people. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that people looking at a franchise award will have already invested time and effort into investigation.

Pursuing a franchise award is not like buying a product ‘off of the shelf’ or from

the showroom. There needs to be much more research into the specific venture.

That research and the walk through the discovery process can often be a process that takes weeks or even months. It is also a serious process that needs to be pursued in a business-like manner. This all translates into ‘once you get started keep going to the finish line’. The finish may not always be what you are expecting but at least you have to travel to that point.

From a timing point of view, location or territory can be a major factor in the decision making process. It should, however, be mentioned that not every franchise has a territorial structure. There exists in the franchise marketplace a number of ventures that are classified as non-territorial. The time pressure, therefore, may not be so great with a non-territorial brand. However one should also investigate them equally as closely as, while they may not be geared to a geographical territory, there may well be other aspects that are exclusive to a franchisee and as such a time element may be involved in the decision-making process.

In looking at a time line for seeking a franchise award it is always advisable to look at the entire process, from basic investigation right through to the time when the business is actually open for business and the cash flow starts. It is important to look at this aspect, as in many franchise models the entire investigation to opening the process may well run into many months. This will be especially true with ‘bricks and

David Banfield

mortar’ franchises where there may be a construction process to follow or, at best, a re-fitting of some existing premises. There may also be the need to hire employees and to build a suitable training program for them. There may be a need to purchase speck equipment that needs to be custom manufactured. There are many different aspects that need to be factored into the time line.

Naturally once a franchise has been awarded the franchisor will also be greatly involved in all of these ‘getting started’ areas, however they usually have to follow a pre-set time line.

Therefore, if you are a person that likes to investigate, make a decision and get started in the franchise world, sooner is surely better than later.

David Banfield is President of The Interface Financial Group, a position that he has held for over 20 years.

He has been instrumental in starting Interface as a franchise opportunity and building it to its current international status. Prior to his involvement with Interface, he worked extensively in the banking, credit and factoring financial service areas.

For more information visit: www.interfacefinancial.com

Franchising USA

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fr anchise & serv ices di r ecto ry

7-Eleven Franchising with the world’s #1 convenience store is easier than you think.

It also might be the smartest business move you’ve ever made.

It’s turnkey – we provide the store, land and equipment.

Start-up is fast (3-6 months). You get extensive training and support from 7-Eleven pros.

As a 7-Eleven Franchisee, you’ll be partnering with a brand known and loved around the world. We’re consistently ranked as a top-five franchisor with more than 54,200 stores worldwide.

Our field consultants and operations teams offer a wealth of support and information. Leveraged vendor relationships mean national buying power.

World-famous brand. World-class opportunity.

Take a second and learn why franchising with 7-Eleven could be the career changer you’ve

9Round 9Round is a 30 minute circuit training workout that incorporates boxing, kickboxing, dumb bells, kettle bells, jump ropes, and a whole lot more.

Phone: 1-800-782-0711 Fax: 972-828-5017 Website: Franchise.7-Eleven.com Email: Franchise.Inquiries@7-11.com

chance of getting bored. The best part is there is a trainer included each and every time to motivate and encourage. With over 200 locations open in 38 states and five countries, 9Round will be coming to your community soon.

This program solves the four problems in the fitness industry. There are no scheduled class times - a client can work out at any time; each session is only 30 minutes and is full body.

Franchise opportunities are available worldwide.

The workouts change daily so there is no

Website: www.9round.com

All About Loving Care, Inc.

The clients we service range from those newborns to the elderly and with conditions ranging from Autism to Alzheimer’s.

All About Loving Care, Inc. is designed to assist people maintain an independent lifestyle.

We provide the means for all our clients to remain in the privacy of their own home.

We believe in treating each client with respect, compassion, and dignity, and strive to meet each client’s physical, emotional, and financial needs.

We offer non-medical home care for those in need of assistance with their day-to-day activities.

Apex Fun Run This unique franchise is experiencing at a nearly rocket-propelled growth since their inception in 2011—with over 56 franchisees in 16 states this company is reshaping the school fundraiser model.

Gone are the days of hawking cookie dough and wrapping paper—Apex Fun Run earns on average $23,000 per school per Fun Run event held.

Phone: 864-962-4601 or email: jeff. mathews@9round.com

We are a non medical home care agency specializing in Senior care. Our services include but are not limited to 24 hour care, hospice care, personal care, respite care, meal planning and preparation.

Phone: (877) 822-0211 Fax: (310) 301-0004 Website: www.allaboutlovingcare.us

The concept is simple, Apex Fun Run collaborates with school PTO/As and faculty, and produces a meaningful and “hassle-free” school fun run that is financially successful and builds leadership and fitness values in the students who participate.

For more information, contact Jeremy Barnhart: Email: Jeremy@apexfunrun.com Phone: 480-347-0243 Website: www.apexfunrun.com

Beef Jerky Outlet

• Freedom from major contracts

With 1000% growth over the past 20 months The Beef Jerky Outlet franchise system is simple in comparison to other popular retail franchise concepts. We offer an easyto-follow business model with little or no competition in the specialized market of beef jerky sales.

• Personalized interaction with the hands-on owners of the overall outlet franchise

The Beef Jerky Outlet franchisees enjoy: • High quality product with extended shelf life • Low outlet franchise operating costs • Inventory that sells quickly, offering no need for warehouse storage • A business with only a small amount of payroll and other general retail paperwork

Franchising USA

Been looking for. Your earning potential is as big as you want to make it. We offer a gross profit split, which means your success is as important to us as it is to you.

• Contact with one centralized, knowledgeable product team

• Continuous, ongoing support • Higher than average sales per transaction Many of our best retail franchise opportunities are now available and we are searching for qualified individuals to become part of our growing, dynamic jerky franchise team.

Please visit www.beefjerkyoutlet.com and fill out the request for more information form.

Big O Tires® BIG O Is Your BIG Opportunity.

With more than 50 years in the tire and automotive maintenance industry, Big O Tires® is proud to be a worldclass leader. As we continue to thrive in an ever-expanding market, we invite you to be a part of the exciting opportunities as a member of the Big O Tires® family.

Big O Tires® is proud to be one of the most progressive tire and automotive service franchises in the nation. When you join our family, we supply you with a powerful set of tools to help bring your business to the front of the pack: This website and any request for information or forms are not a franchise offering or an offer to sell a franchise.

Bin There Dump That Bin There Dump That is a mini disposal container system and we’re FRANCHISING IN YOUR AREA! This is a franchise business that can be up and running quickly. We invite you to imagine yourself operating your own successful mini disposal business, providing cost effective solutions to customers who appreciate your service.

The time is right for Bin There Dump That. We are a low-tech business whose systems are recognizable and repeatable.

We offer services that are systematic. The process is easy to teach and easy to learn. In no time you will be answering customer’s requests for bins and building a strong, robust client base.

Come and get your piece of this SIMPLE TO OPERATE business that has a reasonable entry cost, offers exclusive

Cardinale Enterprises Cardinale Enterprises is a leading real estate investment and development company that has built a solid reputation in the New York and New Jersey commercial real estate marketplace.

For more than 25 years, our company has

Coverall® Founded in 1985, Coverall offers motivated entrepreneurs the right to independently own and operate commercial cleaning franchised businesses using the Coverall® brand and system.

In 2008, the company launched its Coverall HealthBased Cleaning System® Program with an emphasis on helping to improve the cleanliness, health and wellness of facilities.

This unique Program combines environmentally friendly and innovative cleaning technologies and tools, hospital-grade disinfectants, professional training programs, customer support and

Discovery Point With almost 50 locations throughout the Southeast, Discovery Point Child Development Centers® provides safe, educational and nurturing environments for growing children.

Discovery Point embraces a three A’s approach – Attention, Affection and Approval – and partners with Teaching Strategies in using the nationally recognized early childhood education program, Creative Curriculum System® for Preschool.

Since opening its first location in an Atlanta suburb in 1988, Discovery Point has been a leader in

• Leading name-brand recognition.

• Experienced franchise system.

• Competitive marketing strategies.

• Dynamic and perpetuating consumer engagement • Comprehensive start-up training.

• Sales guidance from a network of retail experts.

• Multiple warehouses stocked to meet inventory demands.

• National and regional meetings/conventions.

• Access to exclusive marketing resources.

• On-site visits and strong support from Franchise Business Consultants.

Contact us today! www.bigofranchise.com

territories, full training, marketing materials, lead programs and offers you over 100 years of experienced franchisor support!

Enjoy the benefits of non-competitive relationships with other Bin There Dump That dealer/owners across North America. Share in a pool of knowledge that will assist you in maintaining competitive market advantages.

Learn key success factors from the pioneers of the mini roll off container systems. Create an organization designed to maximize productivity while controlling costs.

Contact: John Ferracuti Phone: 905-823-8550 Email: john@BinThereDumpThat.com Website: www.BinThereDumpThat.com

established a track record of excellence by developing, marketing, managing and investing in retail properties and mixed-use developments throughout the Northeast.

Phone: 732-747-7846 or Email: Leasing@cardainaleenterprises.com You can also visit our website: www.CardinaleEnterprises.com

communication, and a passion for healthy cleaning to do one thing – remove the maximum amount of dirt and germs as efficiently as possible.

Today, the Coverall® Program, implemented by independently owned and operated Franchised Businesses, is the first choice of offices, medical offices and healthcare facilities, ambulatory surgery centers, schools, daycares, retail businesses, restaurants, manufacturing plants, auto dealerships, religious centers, fitness centers and other businesses This offering is made by prospectus only. See Franchise Disclosure Document for details.

Website: www.coverall.com

childhood enrichment and care, expanding beyond its Georgia roots into Florida, North Carolina and Tennessee with plans under way to reach new markets nationwide.

Discovery Point Child Development Centers® was recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine in its “Franchise 500” and ranked #22 on its “Red-Hot Franchise” list for 2013.

More information about Discovery Point and Discovery Point franchise opportunities is available by calling (800) 418-3990 or visiting discoverypointfranchise.com or discoverypoint.com.

Franchising USA

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Fastsigns® Now more than ever, businesses look to FASTSIGNS® for innovative ways to connect with customers in a highly competitive marketplace. Our high standards for quality and customer service have made FASTSIGNS the most recognized brand in the industry, driving significantly more traffic to the web than any other sign company.

We also lead in these important areas: • #1 Ranked Sign Franchise in Entrepreneur Magazine Franchise 500 three years in a row • Franchise Business Review FBR50 Franchisee Satisfaction Award 2006-2015 • Franchise Research Institute World Class Franchise 2011-2015

FRANFUND FranFund provides a comprehensive set of funding solutions for your new or expanding business including business loans, securities backed financing and our proven capitalization solution, the FranPlan™.

The FranPlan™ allows you to use an existing retirement account to fund your new business debt, tax and penalty free.

GameTruck Founded in 2006, GameTruck is the first and most recognized mobile gaming and entertainment franchise in the United States. GameTruck today has 70+ franchise locations throughout United States, servicing 35 states. Taking advantage of the massive video game industry, GameTruck brings a one of a kind experience right to

• CFA Franchisees’ Choice Designation 2004-2015 • FASTSIGNS is one of only a handful of franchises approved for $21 million in SBA financing for approved franchise candidates FASTSIGNS has over 400 markets approved for development in the US and Canada and is also seeking Master or Area Developer expansion in markets worldwide.

For more information: Phone: 1-214-346-5679 Email: mark.jameson@fastsigns.com Or visit our Website: www.fastsigns.com

Our team of funding experts are here to work with you to create a customized capitalization solution for your specific situation, including obtain a pre-qualification so that you can conduct your franchise investigation with confidence.

Phone: 817-730-4500 Fax: 817-546-1291 Website: www.franfund.com Email: info@franfund.com Contact: taseiber@franfund.com

service to customers and franchise owners alike.

During that time GameTruck has been recognized in Entrepreneur.com’s Franchise 500 list and also their top home based and new franchise lists.

GameTruck’s mission is to Deliver Excitement to its customers and franchisees.

Reach out today to learn more about franchising with GameTruck!

Contact: Ryan, Sr. Franchise Development Manager

customers’ doorsteps. Due to this demand, GameTruck has experience 6 consecutive years of growth and continues to offer best in class

Phone: 480-303-7212 Email: ryan@gametruck.com Website: gametruckfranchising.com

honkamp krueger

Our depth and level of franchising expertise along with our track record for providing independent and objective franchise advisory/consulting services clearly differentiates HK from all other franchise advisors across the country.

Honkamp Krueger & Co., P.C. is a Top 100 CPA and business consulting firm and the eight-fastestgrowing CPA firm in the U.S. (Accounting Today, 2015) Specializing in franchise services, HK offers 40-plus forward-thinking, innovative solutions to franchise organizations in all 50 states.

In addition to our tax, accounting and consulting services, HK offers total hire-to-retire solutions through our human capital management affiliate, HKP. Through our HK Financial Services affiliate, HK offers world-class wealth management solutions.

Huntington Learning Center Huntington Learning Center is the #1 revenue producing tutoring franchise, with an average earning of 61% more revenue than our closest competitor.

Huntington was founded in 1977, began franchising in 1985 and has grown to be one of the most established and well-respected brands in education.

Today, Huntington operates nearly 300 centers in 38 states from coast to coast as a recognized pioneer and leader in the tutoring industry, providing quality instruction to tens of thousands of students through our national network of franchised and company-

Franchising USA

• Franchise Research Institute #1 Rated Sign & Graphics Franchise 2014-2015

When you partner with HK for your franchising needs, you will always have easy access to one of our owners who will walk in your shoes with you and who has a unique perspective on being an entrepreneur and business grower.

Phone: 888.556.0123 www.honkamp.com

owned tutoring centers.

For over 37 years, Huntington Learning Center has been the leader in the tutoring and test prep industry with an established reputation of providing highquality, individualized programs for students of all ages and in all subjects. As a Huntington franchisee, you will inherit our reputation for excellence and be recognized in your community as an industry leader and premier brand of tutoring services.

For more information, contact Gina Elliott at: Email: Franchise@HLCmail.com Phone: 800.653.8400 Website: www.huntingtonfranchise.com

International Franchise Professionals Group

IFPG to power their business. All of these individuals understand the value of being associated with IFPG.

The International Franchise Professionals Group (also known as IFPG) is a membership based organization that has over 700 members. Our members consist of Franchisors, Franchisor Brokers, Lenders, and other Franchise Professionals that help potential candidates in the process of buying a franchise.

The IFPG is a strictly membership based organization that does not participate in any referral fees from our franchisor members or our brokers, thereby allowing all of our members to work freely together.

Our long-term success is predicated on retaining our members and providing all the tools needed to help you sell more franchises, and close more deals.

Hundreds of nationally recognized franchise companies have chosen the IFPG and its members to represent their brand; hundreds of experienced franchise consultants and brokers have chosen the

If you’re a franchisor, franchisor broker, or another profession that serves the franchising industry call us today at (888) 977-IFPG to learn about membership opportunities.

jani-king

of operation in the commercial cleaning industry.

Known as “The Jani-King System”, new franchise owners are trained using the most up to date technologies, procedures, tools, and equipment.

They are able to grow their business and succeed with the expertise and support of a local regional office, in addition to numerous Jani-King International resources.

For more information: Phone: 972-991-0900 / 1-800-JANIKING or Email: csturdivant@janiking.com Website: www.janiking.com

Jani-King - The world’s largest Commercial Cleaning Franchise Opportunity. This Franchise Opportunity has over 9,000 unit franchise owners in 14 countries.

Franchise Owners are professionally trained to provide services to customers in Commercial Buildings, Healthcare Facilities, Schools & Universities, Hotels/Resorts, Casinos, Sporting Venues, etc.

For 44 years Jani-King has perfected a method

Kid to Kid For over 20 years, Kid to Kid stores across the country have given parents an affordable (and enjoyable!) shopping experience with huge selections of new and gently used children’s apparel, toys, shoes, baby gear and maternity wear.

Our inventory changes every day, as trained buyers hand select and pay CASH to customers for their great-quality kid stuff, and sell those items at 70% off regular mall prices.

Our customers love the savings they receive on their favorite labels and brands from Kid to Kid’s trusted inventories.

kz companies

As our partners, our franchise owners receive industrybest support and a leading support-to-store ratio. Kid to Kid’s proprietary buying software and inventory management systems, robust employee training, branded marketing, on-call computer support, and cloud-based reporting tools help owners manage their stores at optimal levels of sales and profitability.

At Kid to Kid, our success is YOUR success, and we’ve proven that through 20 years and 110+ stores of uninterrupted growth.

For more information, contact Dave Martell: Email: david.martell@bcfranchise.com Phone: 801.359.0071 x101 Website: www.kidtokid.com

KZ Companies is a full service commercial & residential real estate development and investment company.

Our Franchise Services Division specializes in directly integrating with franchise operators to lead in all aspects of new store development and new store roll out programs.

We provide an unparalleled access to capital and manage our client’s development process from start to finish. Our in-house resources and well capitalized company provide turn-key capabilities that deliver stores quickly and economically.

Since the inception of our company in 1994, we have successfully built over 200+ projects for national and regional retailers across the country and developed an extensive foundation of relationships with tenants, homeowners, landlords and municipalities. Through our relationships we pride ourselves on a proven track record of delivering all our projects on time and on budget. Our long history of successful projects can be attributed to a grounded belief that our success depends on our clients’ and partners’ success.

For more information: Phone: (949) 476-2700, Email: info@kzcompanies.com Or go to Website: www.kzcompanies.com

franchising usa

Choose a 12 or 6 month package or simply

A-Z Listings are a great way to promote your business, giving you a presence within our publication and also the Franchising USA website.

add the A-Z directory onto your Focus, Profile

Each detailed, full colour A-Z listing comes with a 150 word write up and your logo. Excellent for branding and recognition.

or Ad! To learn about the A-Z directory or any other products please contact Kimberly Kutnick: kimberlyk@cgbpublishing.com or 847-607-8407.

Franchising USA

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Launch trampoline

birthday parties, fundraisers and corporate events.

Launch Trampoline Park is an indoor family entertainment center that focuses on family, friends, fitness, and fun.

Safety is the #1 priority, and we are continually working to ensure a safe environment through superior structure, staff training, research, education and planning.

Founded by Rhode Island entrepreneur Robert Arnold and retired New England Patriot cornerback and threetime Super Bowl Champion Ty Law in 2012, there are currently three corporate-owned parks and eight owned and operated by franchisees from New Hampshire to Delaware with more opening soon.

Launch generates revenue through several departments; trampoline use, arcade, and concessions. Launch is very community oriented, hosting regular fundraisers for local organizations, and Joey, the 7’ tall green kangaroo mascot, can always be spotted at local events.

Our parks range from 19k to 42k square feet with over 50% of the square footage covered in jumping surfaces, making Launch the perfect place for social gatherings,

Liberty tax service Founded in 1997 by CEO John T. Hewitt, Liberty Tax Service is the fastest-growing tax preparation franchise in the industry and has prepared almost 18 million income tax returns in more than 4,400 offices and online.

Liberty balances strong growth, best business practices, social responsibility, and a fulfilling life experience for our franchisees. We’re committed to creating a business system and environment that will be held up as the model for all other tax preparation franchises to emulate.

Liberty Tax is a company to watch, not just in tax preparation franchise terms, but in the business world as a whole. Our corporate team, Area Developers, and franchisees are accessible and down-to-earth. We provide a supportive network and a culture that is progressive and fun.

You can join one of the top franchise opportunities in the world. Just fill out our request franchise information form to find out more about Liberty Tax. www.libertytaxfranchise.com/request-franchiseinformation.html

Little Caesars

continue to receive support, expert analysis and consultation from corporate as their business grows.

Little Caesars offers strong franchisee candidates opportunities in select locations across the country. As America’s fastest growing pizza chain, Little Caesars provides candidates an opportunity for independence with a proven system, a simple operating model and strong national brand recognition.

Little Caesars’ requires candidates desiring to open one store to have a net worth of $150,000 with a minimum of $50,000 in liquid, unencumbered assets (such as cash).

Franchisees must also be able to obtain financing to cover the total costs of opening a franchised location.

Franchisees benefit from a comprehensive training program that focuses on all aspects of the business, including training, architectural and construction services to help with design, preferred lenders to assist with financing, the ongoing research and development of new products, and effective marketing programs. Franchisees

The Little Gym International With more than 300 locations in 30 countries, The Little Gym is the world’s premier enrichment and physical development franchise for kids four months through 12 years.

Our owners are backed by more than 35 years of experience nurturing happy, confident kids through programs including parent/child, gymnastics, dance and sports skills, plus enjoyable extras like camps, Parents’ Survival Nights and Awesome Birthday Bashes.

Each week, structured classes and a positive learning environment create opportunities for children to try new

For the sixth year in a row, Little Caesars was named “Best Value in America”* of all quick-serve restaurant chains.

Phone: 800-553-5776 Email: USdevelopment@LCEcorp.com Website: www.LittleCaesars.com

things and build self-confidence, all with a grin that stretches from ear to ear.

To make it even easier to become a franchisee, we’re offering special reduced pricing! For a limited time, we have reduced the initial franchise fee by up to $40,000 (locations and savings may vary) and are honoring veterans by offering 50% off the franchise fee to Veterans and Active Duty Military, Reserves, National Guard and Coast Guard.

Contact: Leo Smart, Director of Franchise Development Email: sales@thelittlegym.com Phone: 480-948-2878 Website: www.TheLittleGym.com and www.TheLittleGymFranchise.com

LivePOS

franchisors with the ability to run a successful and very profitable business, with ZERO upfront cost.

Technology is changing the way we shop. Social Media, targeted advertising and repeat customers can make the difference between a successful business and failure. If you are still using outdated, dinosaur like point of sale system, you are leaving money on the table.

Real-Time sales and inventory reports, employee time and attendance, commissions, payroll, promotions and over 1,000 other features makes LivePOS the market leader in this space. The LivePOS FMS Dashboard provides direct access to store sales, royalty remittance, franchise wide SKU control and many other tools to ensure consistency throughout the brand, regardless of state or location

Enters LivePOS, a Cloud Point of Sale Solution designing exclusively for multi-location, chains and franchises owners. With over 20,000 customers worldwide, LivePOS provides both franchisees and

Franchising USA

Ph: 401-738-1259 or Email: PMobley@launchri.com, RArnold@launchtrampolinepark.com Web: www.launchtrampolinepark.com

Website: www.livepos.com Email: info@livepos.com

Midas Midas, a recognized brand throughout the world and highly renowned name in complete car care, is proud to be one of North America’s original franchise opportunities – and one of its best.

With Midas, you experience the best of both worlds - the support of an experienced franchise organization and the satisfaction of operating your very own auto service enterprise. As a Midas franchisee, you become a trusted name the day you open your doors for business. Building consumer trust is at the heart of our brand. We work every day to earn that trust by providing expertise, responsiveness, and the best value to every customer every time.

Benefit from nearly 60 years of “The Midas Touch”

Minuteman press Serving the business community for over 40 years, Minuteman Press’ customer service driven business model provides digital print, design and promotional services to businesses. Today we are much more than just print, we can provide anything you can put a name, image or logo on!

Minuteman Press is a number one rated

murphy business Murphy Business Northwest gives you the best of two worlds: our office is a small, local business closely connected to the community here in Puget Sound, specializing in personal service to our clients; yet, we are affiliated with one of the largest business brokers with offices throughout North America. Our experienced professionals can offer an unsurpassed range of brokerage services: • When Selling a Business or Buying a business, • Business Valuation Services • Commercial Real Estate Brokers

Naturalawn of america NaturaLawn of America offers organic-based lawn care services to customers across the United States seeking safer alternatives to traditional chemical lawn care.

They pioneered the breakthrough into environmentally responsible lawn care back in 1987 (before “going green” was the norm). While chemicalbased companies continued to randomly spray unnecessary pesticides, NaturaLawn of America developed an Integrated Pest Management System (IPM), which was unprecedented in lawn care.

Nutrition Zone Nutrition Zone is in the business of changing lives.

That includes the Franchisees who join us on this incredible and noble journey. At Nutrition Zone, we do not only take great pride in creating stronger, smarter and healthier clients through the best stores and business model in the industry, we take great pride in identifying and developing successful, determined entrepreneurs providing them the tools and opportunities to reach their financial goals along the way.

Nutrition Zone was founded to serve, educate and empower the community by improving the quality of our

Midas has built a stellar reputation in the automotive service and repair industry nearly six decades. We want to help you succeed. Before you open a location and as you continue to operate your shop, Midas will help you with the following: • Business management system for your shop • New franchisee orientation • Ongoing training and training resources • Operational support.

• Development support • Optimizing and marketing your business: Join Midas today by calling 1-800-365-0007 or visiting www.midasfranchise.com!

This website and any request for information or forms are not a franchise offering or an offer to sell a franchise.

business service franchise that offers world class training and unparalleled ongoing local support. Prior experience is not necessary to own and operate a successful Minuteman Press franchise.

For more information Contact: Al Sanders Phone: 800-645-3006 Email: asanders@mpihq.com Website: www.minutemanpressfranchise.com

• Best Franchise Opportunities for buyer • Equipment Appraisals Our professional business brokers all have past experience as business owners and managers. We apply that business sense to help match buyers to an appropriate business.

Visit the website www.yourfranchiseadvisor.com/home/our-franchiseadvisors/curt-maier/ For more information contact Curt Maier Office 425 679 6627 or Cell 425 505 3649 you and also email curt.maier@murphybusiness.com

By creating natural lawn care programs specific to the needs of each individual lawn and through its use of organic-based lawn care products, NaturaLawn of America continues to give customers nationwide, the healthier, greener lawns they desire while protecting people, pets and the environment.

Headquartered in Frederick, Maryland, NaturaLawn of America provides business opportunities to individuals wishing to own their own franchise.

For more information Phone: (800) 989-5444, Email: info@naturalawnfranchise.com Or go to Website: http://naturalawnfranchise.com/

clients’ lives.

From inception, Nutrition Zone’s customer service and sincerity has been at the forefront of our growth. This is realized through highly educated team members who share our goal of making a positive, meaningful impact in our communities. Nutrition Zone provides premium service and premium products at extremely competitive prices.

SERVICE - QUALITY -COMPETITIVENESS - EXCELLENCE NUTRITION ZONE – A FORCE BEHIND A BETTER YOU!!

www.nutritionzonefranchise.com

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One Stop Tax One Stop Tax is a professional tax preparation services provider offering personal and business income tax returns catered to the low and middle income brackets.

As a franchisor we offer state-of the art tools that help make the entire business run efficiently and intelligently because of our proven business system.

Our Town America For over 40 years, Our Town America has been providing new movers with traditional hospitality by mailing warm housewarming gifts from local businesses in a premium welcome package.

It is Our Town America’s mission to welcome new movers into their communities, to help local businesses gain new loyal and long-term customers, and to provide franchisees with an excellent business opportunity.

Thousands of satisfied business owners throughout the United States attest to the success and effectiveness of the Our Town America program

Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning

Contact: Charles Kinuthia Phone: 855.408.2937 or Email: franchise@onestoptax.com You can also check out our website: www.onestoptax.com

while dozens of locally owned franchises validate the Our Town America concept as a viable business opportunity. Franchisees are neighborhood marketing consultants, showing local business owners how to target their best prospects with enticing offers via direct mail.

Since beginning to franchise in 2005, Our Town America has been consistently ranked a Franchise Business Review Top 50 Franchise making them the only Advertising brand to land a spot in the 10-year Hall of Fame and the sole company to be crowed Franchise Business Review’s Top Company.

Website: http://www.ourtownamerica.com Email: franchising@ourtownamerica.com

fastest dry times possible: one hour on average.

The home-based concept’s innovative carpet cleaning system uses environmentally friendly cleaning solutions, leaves no sticky residue and is safe for children and pets.

Recognized as one of “America’s Best Franchises,” according to Forbes magazine, Oxi Fresh has more than 280 carpet cleaning locations in 45 states and Canada, with many more in development. Company plans call for awarding 50-75 additional franchise opportunities to qualified candidates over the next 12-18 months.

In addition, Oxi Fresh’s innovative cleaning method only requires two gallons of water per home – as opposed to the 40-50 gallons that many other carpet cleaners use – and consequently offers one of the

Contact: Kris Antolak Phone: (720) 963-6193 Email: kris@oxifresh.com Website: www.oxifresh.com

Persona Wood Fired Pizzeria

You can choose from one of our chef inspired specialty pizzas or create your own with over 30 toppings to choose from. Our expert pizza makers will create your pizza just the way you like it. Your imagination and creativity is the only limit!

Founded in 2006, Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning has established itself as one of the nation’s fastestgrowing carpet cleaning companies.

Persona Wood Fired Pizzeria is the only “Create Your Own” concept of its kind that was developed by two Chefs— one classically trained and the other an Italian Pizzaiolo and World Pizza Champion.

Persona’s exceptional quality starts with our fresh and extremely high quality ingredients. We craft an authentic Neapolitan pizza from imported “00” flour imported from Naples, Italy. The vine ripe plum tomatoes grown for our tomato sauce are sourced from the San Joaquin Valley. Our hand-made meatballs, sausage and sauces have all won gold medal acclaim worldwide, and we think your taste buds will agree.

Once your pizza assembly is complete, we bake it in one of our imported Italian Marra Forni wood fired ovens. At 800 degrees, 90 seconds is all it takes to produce a pizza that is crispy and chewy in the Neapolitan tradition.

Craving something from the garden? Our freshly tossed salads are a great complement to your wood fired pizza. Our award- winning dressings are all made from scratch. Complete your experience with our rich gelato handmade locally by an Austrian-trained gelato chef.

For more information visit www.personapizzeria.com or Email: info@personapizzeria.com

franchising usa

Choose a 12 or 6 month package or simply

A-Z Listings are a great way to promote your business, giving you a presence within our publication and also the Franchising USA website.

add the A-Z directory onto your Focus, Profile

Each detailed, full colour A-Z listing comes with a 150 word write up and your logo. Excellent for branding and recognition.

Franchising USA

Our services are sought year after year despite economic condition and regardless of demographics and income levels.

or Ad! To learn about the A-Z directory or any other products please contact Kimberly Kutnick: kimberlyk@cgbpublishing.com or 847-607-8407.

pillar to post Pillar To Post is North America’s leading home inspection franchise.

We have been named a Top 50 Franchise for franchisee satisfaction in 2013, 2014 and 2015 by Franchise Business Review. #1 Home Inspection franchise for 2013, 2014 and

pinot’s palette Pinot’s Palette is a pioneer of the paint and sip experience – a revolutionary way to enjoy art and wine, meet new people and bond with friends. #1 paint and sip for franchisee satisfaction – Pinot’s Palette is a unique, art-inspired entertainment concept catering to adults, corporations and kids.

By combining art and wine into a single concept, Pinot’s Palette now offers an inclusive, social activity for guests to enjoy with friends, family or work team members.

PROSHRED Security PROSHRED® pioneered the mobile paper shredding and recycling industry in the mid 1980’s in Canada and is recognized as a North American leader.

PROSHRED® shreds and recycles confidential documents and proprietary materials for “fortune 500 companies”, “large”, “small and medium sized enterprises” as well as “home based business” and “residential consumers” in all industry sectors. PROSHRED® combines

Redrhino REDRHINO isn’t just another flooring company – we are a premium epoxy coating supplier and installer committed to doing the industry’s best work on every project.

That one philosophy sets us apart from our competitors, and has helped us grow into a nationwide leader in epoxy flooring since 2005.

There are a lot of businesses and independent contractors offering epoxy coating for concrete floors, but when precision, quality, and real-world

2015 by Entrepreneur Magazine, as well as a Top Low Cost Franchise, Top Home Based Franchise and among the Best of the Best listings with Entrepreneur magazine in 2013 and 2014.

Contact: Brian Wieters Phone: 1-877-9633129 or Email: franchise@pillartopost.com Website: www.pillartopostfranchise.com

Pinot’s Palette’s entertaining environment, expert guidance from trained local artists and exceptional customer experience creates strong word of mouth, community recognition and a loyal customer base.

Pinot’s Palette looks for franchisee partners who love to entertain and values that fit comfortably within the Team Pinot culture. Not art experience required!

Franchising since 2010 with more than 130 locations in 33 states, Pinot’s Palette is an established, awardwinning concept leading the paint and sip industry.

Website: www.PinotsPalette.com/Franchise or Email: Franchise@pinotspalette.com

unparalleled customer service with absolute security and is the only company to receive both ISO 9001-2008 and NAID AAA certification.

PROSHRED®’s explosive growth is a result of increasing concerns with regard to “identity theft” and the “environment”. PROSHRED® is a GREEN business opportunity.

Contact: Shelley Gable Phone: 416-490-8600 (116) Email: shelley.gable@proshred.com Website: www.proshred.com

guarantees matter, clients turn to us. That’s because we have a reputation for being customer-service centered, and being able to manage projects and timelines that other epoxy flooring companies can’t.

When you need flooring that’s beautiful and durable, applied correctly the first time on your schedule, REDRHINO should be your first call.

For more information contact Michael D. Kenealy | CEO 1 (310) 435-4153 or 1 (888) 292-6478 email: info@redrhinoflooring.com Or visit our website www.redrhinoflooring.com

Renew Crew

weak the economy is, thereby providing a recession-resistant

Renew Crew is proud to be North America’s most trusted

Every day we continue to refine our products and systems

choice for exterior surfacecleaning and protecting. We are the leading national brand with a proprietary 3-step process that

revenue stream. to maximize your expertise and optimize your chances of exceeding your goals for your business. Our corporate team

works wonders. We call it Renew Crew Clean™. You’ll call it

is committed to supporting you as you start and build your

the path to achieving your personal and business goals!

enterprise locally. From sales and operations, to marketing

Renew Crew is undoubtedly the leader in exterior surface

and accounting, you’ll have access to support staff for all

cleaning and protecting. Cleaning and protecting outdoor

aspects of your business

surfaces is an important part of home ownership and a

Contact: Shemar Pucel

segment of an estimated $476 billion home maintenance

Phone: 804-214-3021

market. Even better for our franchisees, these homeowner

Email: spucel@outdoorlivingbrands.com

maintenance obligations remain regardless of how strong or

Website: www.renewcrewfranchise.com

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service brands international One Company. Multiple Brands.

We’ve created life-changing opportunities as a privately-owned company with a distinctive culture of community service and hundreds of successful business owners nationwide.

With over 30 years of franchising experience, SBI provides the leadership, business systems and franchisee support that allow our

We are: Molly Maid, Mr. Handyman and ProTect Painters. Our mission is to help owners quickly reach their profit goals and realize their dreams.

For more information contact: Steve Lajiness, V.P. of Franchise Development for SBI Tel: 734-822-6110 or Email: steve.lajiness@servicebrands.com Website: http://franchise.servicebrands.com/

Sherpa Kids

Each member of the Sherpa Kids Franchise System has an important role to play.

Sherpa Kids will work and engage with all stakeholders to ensure continuous learning that meets children’s needs. We pride ourselves on creating a nurturing and caring environment for the care of your school-aged children. We do this through a structured and wellbalanced program in before, after school and vacation care services.

The success of every individual Franchise strengthens the Sherpa Kids brand. A growing Franchise System means greater marketing and advertising power, more brand awareness, higher market penetration, new and improved systems, and more team members to share knowledge, ideas and strategies.

Become a Sherpa Kids Country Master Franchisee and make an investment on two levels.

Your new life will be rewarding financially and personally as you help school communities and franchisees achieve their business and lifestyle goals.

smokes poutinerie Smokes Poutinerie is the Worlds Largest & Original Poutinerie; inventing and leading the quick-serve Poutine industry, offering over 30 types of Gourmet Poutine.

Already operating in 6 countries – Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, England , Canada and Ireland.

Contact: Vicki Prout Email: vicki@sherpa-kids.com Phone: +61 8 8354 4886; Mobile: +61 4 3980 3078 Website: www.sherpa-kids.com

There is no slowing down the Gravy Train, with Smoke’s Poutinerie expanding exponentially since its debut on the Franchise scene in 2009. Boasting a whopping 100 locations Coast to Coast in Canada and kicking it into high gear with its expansion into the U.S., Sports & Entertainment and International Markets.

The exclusive Poutine menu plays a very significant role with its Signature Gravy, Fresh Hand-Cut Fries, Squeaky Cheese Curds and an unlimited combination of toppings like double-smoked bacon, flat iron steak, grilled chicken, caramelized onions, sautéed peppers and many more mouthwatering options.

The first official U.S. location recently opened in Berkeley, California where customers were lined up around the block anxiously awaiting their first bite! Next up, Smoke’s Poutinerie Las Vegas, Hollywood, New York City and numerous other states and cities.

The Smoke’s Poutinerie goal is to bring this authentic, quality Canadian dish to the rest of the World in their own original and unique way.

Phone: 905 427 4444 Website: www.smokespoutinerie.com Email: franchises@smokespoutinerie.com

SOLDIERFIT

on personal service, member connections and teamwork, members are made to feel like they belong to something bigger than themselves.

SOLDIERFIT is a military inspired fitness franchise with centers and gyms specializing in large group boot camp training, personal training and kids’ fitness programs. It offers a functional fitness gym set in a family environment for all fitness levels.

SOLDIERFIT is different from other fitness companies in that character building is the number one priority, not aesthetics. By focusing

Spark mobile video Spark manufactures promotional trucks with integrated digital video screens.

Trucks range in size from pickup-truck based models with 4’ x 6’ digital screens up to large box-style models with 8’ x 14’ video displays.

The trucks are used as mobile billboards for any business and also as ordinary delivery

Franchising USA

franchisees to experience ease of operation and success.

The business is founded on community, patriotism, and the American dream. Since launching in 2007, SOLDIERFIT has expanded across Maryland with locations in Gaithersburg, Frederick and Columbia and will be opening a franchise location in Virginia in fall 2015.

Website: soldierfitfranchise.com

vehicles. Financing is available with payments averaging $2000 per month. Often payments can be reimbursed through franchise co-op marketing programs.

Contact: Robert Tarabella Phone: 844-SPARK-44 or Email:info@sparkmobilevideo.com Website: sparkmobilevideo.com

Spherion Staffing Services Join the ranks of an established recruiting and staffing leader!

As a Spherion franchise owner, you will be well-positioned to create a successful future for yourself and you’ll have a stake in helping others make a better life for themselves through rewarding employment opportunities. This is the passion that drives our business every day and the financial rewards are just as exciting. One of the fastest growing industries, staffing is projected to grow six percent annually and reach $115 billion this year. Spherion owners produced more than $500 million in annual sales last year alone. It’s an ideal opportunity for an entrepreneur to step into and begin building a thriving business.

Since 1946, Spherion® has been supplying flexible, tempto-hire and direct-hire talent to companies of all sizes and

Sports Clips Established in 1993 and franchised in 1995, Sport Clips is one of the nation’s leading franchises with close to 1,400 stores nationwide. Founder and CEO Gordon Logan is a pioneer of the unique sports-themed haircutting franchise, including the development of the Sport Clips All-Star haircutting systems, operating procedures, and marketing programs. It’s a great recession-resistant business that’s all cash, no receivables, and no haircare industry experience is necessary.

industries. Specializing in administrative, light industrial, contact center, non-clinical healthcare and professional placements, we offer a comprehensive range of workforce solutions to fit the unique needs of our clients. Operating through a network of 175 franchise locations, Spherion has distinguished itself as a local staffing partner providing personalized service, backed by the resources and breadth of a $2 billion workforce leader. Last year, we connected more than 170,000 job seekers to 3,000 companies nationwide, and the numbers continue to grow. We are a strong community of owners that genuinely love what we do and it has earned us a reputation of excellence in our industry.

To learn more, please contact Bill Tasillo on our Market Expansion Team at 404/964-5508 or go to www.spherion.com/franchise

FORBES as a “Top Ten Best Franchise” to buy for its investment category.

Qualified veterans who are interested in owning a Sport Clips are eligible for a 20 percent discount off of Sport Clips’ franchise fee of $59,500 through participation in the Veterans Transition Franchise Initiative, also known as VetFran, which was created in 1991 during the Gulf War. At Sport Clips, it’s good to be a guy but it’s great to be an owner! Visit sportclipsfranchise.com to learn more.

For more information, contact Karen Young:

Sport Clips is ranked by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the top 20 “Fastest-Growing Franchises” and in the top 40 in the “Franchise 500.” It is also ranked by

Email: franchise.recruitment@sportclips.com Phone: (800) 872-4247 x. 1 Website: www.sportclipsfranchise.com

franchising usa

Choose a 12 or 6 month package or simply

A-Z Listings are a great way to promote your business, giving you a presence within our publication and also the Franchising USA website.

add the A-Z directory onto your Focus, Profile

Each detailed, full colour A-Z listing comes with a 150 word write up and your logo. Excellent for branding and recognition.

Stratus Building Solutions Founded in 2006, Stratus Building Solutions was developed to provide a superior, environmentally friendly commercial cleaning experience driven by dedicated, entrepreneurial, small business owners and regional support centers.

Now under new ownership, the company continues to grow upon idea that through commitment and a loyalty to exceptional service, your own commercial janitorial service franchise has unlimited earning potential.

For the past 9 years, Stratus Building Solutions has developed into a household name in the janitorial service industry. Offering professional training programs,

The Interface Financial Group – IFG 50/50 The Interface Financial Group – IFG 50/50 is an affordable home-based franchise that provides short-term working capital to small and medium-sized businesses by purchasing current, quality invoices at a discount, thus accelerating the client’s cash flow and growth.

All transactions are syndicated 50/50 with the franchisee and the franchisor, and that means less working capital required to fund transaction: IFG does the bulk of the due diligence and the ‘paperwork’ for the transactions, and IFG 50/50 franchisees will concentrate their efforts on building the referral relationships – they do the ‘people work’.

Key advantages of being an IFG 50/50 franchisee include: • No staff to hire, fire, or manage

or Ad! To learn about the A-Z directory or any other products please contact Kimberly Kutnick: kimberlyk@cgbpublishing.com or 847-607-8407.

multi-level business support, state-of-the-art cleaning equipment, Green Seal Certified, biodegradable, non-toxic “Stratus Green Clean” chemicals, 24-Hour emergency services, Stratus Building Solutions is second to none in the commercial janitorial service industry and the pursuance of cleaning for health.

With customizable cleaning options and competitive rates, Stratus Building Solutions provides services to a large range of clients, from schools, medical offices, shopping centers, warehouses, dealerships, religious centers, professional offices, daycares, retail stores, gyms and more.

Contact us today at www.stratusclean.com

• No storefront to own, lease, or maintain • No Inventory or stock to purchase • No extensive travel because IFG franchisees do business locally • Business-to-Business, professional environment with regular business hours of operation • Flexibility to relocate for part of the year or permanently and continue doing business Our franchisees are excellent communicators, relationship builders with decision-making and problem-solving skills, and much more sales & marketing oriented. IFG has been in the ‘invoice discounting’ business since 1972, and employs its franchise network in the US, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, the UK, Ireland, Australia, Mexico and South Africa. www.interfacefinancial.com

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The Joint Chiropractic The Joint Chiropractic is reinventing chiropractic care by making quality alternative healthcare affordable for patients seeking pain relief and ongoing wellness.

Our membership plans and packages eliminate the need for insurance, and our no-appointment policy, convenient hours and locations make care more accessible.

The Joint performs more than two million spinal adjustments a year across 250+ clinics nationwide.

With a proven franchise model in a $12 billion dollar

TopFire Media TopFire Media is an integrated digital marketing and public relations agency, specializing in the franchise industry.

Our clients benefit from our years of experience in franchise SEO service, public relations, media relations, content writing and management, social media marketing, and web design. We work to bring all of these elements together to achieve a common goal – our clients’ success.

UFood Grill UFood Grill is an award-winning franchisor of fast-casual food service restaurants, offering consumers a better-for-you menu to meet the growing demand for healthy options made with fresh ingredients that taste great.

Known as the place where “delicious meets nutritious,” UFood Grill offers traditional

Veterans Business Services Veterans Business Services provides the most advantageous franchise acquisition terms for Veterans and provides innovative entrepreneurial training for qualified Veterans seeking grants under the VA Vocational Rehabilitation Program.

Veterans Business Services (“VBS”) specializes in entrepreneurial opportunities for Veterans and has an extensive reach into the Veterans community and can generate significant interest from qualified Veterans who wish to start a franchise or small business.

VBS offers multiple marketing methods that have proven effective with helping franchise organizations with their expansion plans. Utilizing custom email marketing

WELLBIZ BRANDS, INC WellBiz Brands, Inc. is headquartered in Highlands Ranch, Colo. and is one of the largest health and wellness companies in the United States. The company owns three separate franchise entities: Elements Therapeutic Massage, Inc., which franchises massage studios, providing custom therapeutic massage to meet clients’ individual needs, Fitness Together Franchise Corporation, which franchises one-on-one and semi-private personal training studios, and Fit 36, Inc., which franchises high intensity interval training studios, with workouts done as a group.

Franchising USA

industry, The Joint is making quality healthcare affordable, approachable and convenient for patients—while simplifying business operations for chiropractors and franchise owners.

Our plans and packages eliminate the need for insurance, and our no appointments policy and convenient locations make care more accessible.

The Joint performs more than two million spinal adjustments a year across 250+ clinics nationwide.

For more information, visit thejoint.com/franchise or Email: franchise@thejoint.com

Our integrated approach combines our public relations and franchise SEO service prowess and is designed to generate brand awareness, drive consumer engagement, and build credibility for your company.

Phone: (708) 249-1090 Fax: (708) 957-2395 Website: www.topfiremedia.com Email: info@topfiremedia.com Contact: Matthew Jonas

and non-traditional restaurant designs to franchisees for expansion across the U.S. For more information, please contact: Bob DiBartolomeo, VP of Franchise Development Email: bobd@ufoodgrill.com Phone: 617-787-6000 Website: www.ufoodgrill.com

campaigns, news press releases, and online franchising e-magazine articles, VBS gets the message to qualified Veterans who are invested in starting a franchise.

VBS supports service disabled Veterans who are enrolled in the self-employment track within the Veterans Administration and provides outreach efforts to transitioning military through TAP and ACAP programs. As a graduate business of the Entrepreneurial Bootcamp for Veterans (“EBV”), we also assist other graduates of EBV and provide coaching support through mentoring programs. VBS is where Veterans turn to make their franchise dreams a reality.

Contact: James Mingey Phone: 202-349-0860 Email: info@veteransbusinessservices.us Website: www.veteransbusinessservices.us

Elements Therapeutic Massage, Inc. began franchising in 2006 and has approximately 210 Elements Massage™ locations. Fitness Together Franchise Corporation began franchising in 1996 and has approximately 175 Fitness Together® locations across the United States. Fit 36, Inc. began franchising in 2014 and has a single FIT36™ location in downtown Denver.

For more information Websites: wellbizbrands.com, elementsmassage.com, fitnesstogether.com, fit36fitness.com

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INTRODUCING OUR NEW

A-Z LISTING SECTION! Midas

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Making an appearance every month in Franchising USA magazine.

Each detailed, 4 color A-Z listing comes with a 150 word write up and your logo.

Excellent for branding and recognition.

Choose a 12 or 6 month package or simply add the A-Z directory onto your FOCUS, PROFILE or ad!

To learn about the A-Z directory or any other products, please contact Kimberly Kutnick: kimberlyk@cgbpublishing.com or 847-607-8407.

www.franchisingusamagazine.com

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JEJAK GRAPHICS

a lasting impression

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leaving a lasting impression Jejak Graphics is a freelance graphic design business based in Melbourne, Australia working with clients worldwide. With over 18 years experience in the design and print industry specialising in magazine layout and advert design as well as offering a number of other graphic design services and print solutions including: • Corporate stationery • Brochures and flyers • Poster and banner design • Educational manuals • Sports programs • Monthly Newsletters • Product labels and packaging Artwork is tailored to your brand and focused on your message and target audience. No job is too big or small.

Contact me today to discuss how Jejak Graphics can make your company or organisation leave ‘a lasting impression’.

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